Political commentator Reihan Salam spoke on March 31 at a Center for Expanding Viewpoints in Higher Education event, addressing the complex influence of immigration and demographic changes on American society and politics.
Salam, president of the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, said that immigrants who arrived after 1965 and their descendants now make up one-third of the U.S. population. He highlighted how this diverse group has become part of all social classes, including the elite. “What I find interesting is, how are these stories [of immigrants] being incorporated into a larger American story?” Salam said. “I think that there would be something good and healthy about trying to tell mythic, positive stories about these newcomer populations and what they mean for the American future.”
During the discussion moderated by Deborah Schildkraut, professor at Tufts University’s Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, Salam responded to questions from students and audience members on topics such as mass deportations, school choice, federal policy toward higher education, fertility rates’ impact on demographics, public opinion shifts regarding immigration policy under different administrations, and arguments over anti-white discrimination.
Salam cited New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani as an example of changing narratives around immigrant success: “He is someone who from one vantage point would be seen as a triumph of 21st century American pluralism and inclusion,” he said. Yet Mamdani’s personal experiences after September 11 reflect feelings of exclusion despite political achievement—a contrast to Salam’s own experience growing up Muslim in New York City.
Addressing shifting views within political parties regarding immigration policy depending on perceived partisan benefits or challenges posed by technological change like artificial intelligence threatening white-collar jobs, Salam urged openness to surprises: “Things could wind up looking really, really different” from expectations based on current party platforms.
On higher education funding policies proposed during recent presidential administrations—including efforts to tie federal support to specific requirements—Salam questioned whether longstanding compacts between government investment and universities remain effective today.
