Is them us, or us them?

The aptly-named “LoneWacko” rides again:

Speaking at a high school in New Mexico, Barack Obama was asked about immigration and, according to this liveblog of the event, said:

“We are a nation of immigrants,” Obama answers.

“The only people can say that they aren’t immigrants are the people sitting right here,” the Presidential candidate says and points to the tribal leaders.

“There are some families who have been here for 4 or 500 years. They didn’t cross the border, the border crossed them.”

Certainly, he’s somewhat factually correct: there are old Spanish origin families who are recipients of land grants from hundreds of years ago; they were there before New Mexico was part of the U.S.

However, he’s coming at this from their side, which is in conflict with our – the U.S.’s – side.

A pretty unremarkable statement, but to LW, families who have lived in New Mexico since before it became part of the United States in 1848 are still “thems”, because… they aren’t Mayflower Descendents who also lived in what later became the United States or something like that.  At any rate,  they can’t be us… or U.S.

In the wacky world of nativism, natives aren’t native unless the nativists say they’re native.

Unless, of course, LW is coming out in favor of la reconquista.