I spent March 29 watching “Schindler’s List,” a movie directed by Steven Spielberg. It follows entrepreneur Oskar Schindler as he navigates the Holocaust in Nazi Germany and attempts to profit off of World War II by manufacturing ammunition and enamelware. Despite being a member of the Nazi party, Schindler saves hundreds of Jews from genocide by employing them in his factories. As I attempted to decipher the plot, I took notes for an AP World History assignment: “The Twentieth Century Through Film.” By the end of the movie, I had written three words of grave importance on my notepad: separation, consolidation and extermination. These three words represent a simplified but accessible explanation of the path that genocides like the Holocaust generally take. 

Genocide is a crime committed with the intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, in whole or in part. Polish lawyer Raphael Lemkin coined the term to describe the Holocaust and atrocities of similar intent in world history, and the United Nations (UN) recognized it as a crime in 1946. While some deny the possibility of the United States producing a genocide of similar proportions, it can happen here, and it’s closer than many might think.

To understand the risk, American citizens need a solid understanding of how genocides occur. Though every genocide is unique, genocides can be predicted, prevented and they typically follow a pattern. To explain this phenomenon, former research professor in genocide studies and prevention at George Mason University, Gregory Stanton, created a ten-stage model, which can be simplified into three stages.

The Three-Stage Genocide Model

Separation

Separation describes how a dividing factor between two groups grows, incites violence and encourages genocide. Typically, those in power marginalize and oppress certain groups, based on race, religion, etc., creating the notion of “superior” and “inferior” peoples. In Nazi Germany, for example, Germans were recognized as part of a superior “Aryan race” while Jews were viewed as inferior.

Separation encompasses Stanton’s stages of classification, symbolization, discrimination, dehumanization and polarization. Classification describes the growing division between groups, exacerbated by stereotypes and prejudice. Symbolization describes how discrimination physically manifests, and discrimination describes how the dominant group suppresses the rights of other groups. However, discrimination can’t escalate without justification, so dehumanization simultaneously justifies and promotes worse treatment of marginalized groups, and it often characterizes groups as a threat to the well-being of a nation, likening them to parasites, predators, or pests. Polarization describes how division is spread by word of mouth and through the media, which gathers public support for discrimination.

Consolidation

Consolidation describes the centralization of power and authority, which makes it easier for governments to enforce radical policies and increase a population’s tolerance of bigoted ideas through exposure. Censorship and government-sponsored propaganda are key elements of consolidation. The 1933 Enabling Act exemplifies this stage, permitting Hitler to pass laws without consent from the German president or parliament.

Consolidation also includes Stanton’s stages of organization and preparation. Organization often includes the formation of a new government and the rise of hate groups and militias that further the government’s agenda while preparation is the stage that plans acts of genocide, like constructing concentration camps.

Extermination

Extermination describes the crimes against humanity that occur due to animosity built up over time. In the Holocaust, the Nazis gassed and murdered millions and in the Holodomor, Joseph Stalin, the head of the Soviet Union, kindled mass famine.

Extermination includes Stanton’s stages of persecution and extermination. Stanton also includes denial as a stage to convey that the government rarely recognizes the committed atrocities as genocide.

Genocide vs. Discrimination

Separation, consolidation and extermination together constitute evidence of a risk for genocide. No stage alone implies genocide, and there is a fine line between genocide and discrimination, that being discrimination doesn’t necessitate destruction. Genocide is born when prejudice, policy and practice combine. 

Separation, consolidation and extermination explain the pattern of genocide, but many risk factors foreshadow conflict. Social studies teacher Kristen Collins explores some of these factors in her Challenges to Democracy class.

“There [are] four common things that we see: generally, genocides happen under the cover of war; you see supernationalist ideology, [dictatorship and] scapegoating,” Collins said.

The factors of genocides in the U.S.

War and “Lebensraum”

Already, the Trump administration has begun a global trade war, imposing greater tariffs on nearly every country in the world, which is predicted to hurt the American economy. An economic squeeze and inflation could raise tensions and incite greater conflict between American citizens. The Pathfinder piece “The cost of ‘America First’: The true consequences of Trump’s tariffs” delves into this topic more.

A revived age of American imperialism has also begun, with the Trump administration seeking to expand territorial holdings throughout the world. First, while the government hasn’t monopolized or fully taken over the Gulf of Mexico, it has renamed it the “Gulf of America” to restore American pride. The move has been criticized by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo and the citizens of Mexico, for whom the Gulf is a source of Mexican pride. Second, the Trump administration has expressed its desire to annex Greenland as a territory and Canada as the 51st state, met with resistance in both places. The people and representatives of Canada and Greenland have perceived President Donald Trump’s claims as threats. Finally, Trump has also shown interest in taking over the Gaza Strip and the Panama Canal. The Trump administration’s desire to carry out Manifest Destiny and gain more territory, as stated in Trump’s inaugural address, agitates foreign relations and makes war a legitimate concern. Trade wars and American expansionism could give rise to conflicts that provoke acts of genocide or mass atrocities.

“Under the cover of war, it’s easier to get away with getting rid of an undesirable group of people because others are dying anyway,” Collins said.

Supernationalist ideology

Ultranationalism, also known as supernationalism, describes extreme loyalty to one’s country and supports exceptionalism, the idea that one’s country is the best and invulnerable to the political and social issues faced in other countries.

The 40th President of the United States Ronald Reagan began the slogan “Let’s Make America Great Again” in 1980; it has since been adopted by Trump, becoming “Make America Great Again” (MAGA), which endorses nativism and nationalism. On Jan. 6, 2021, extremist MAGA supporters stormed Capitol Hill in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election, threatening democracy itself. Five people were killed and many more were injured. Despite these fatalities, Trump shows continuous support for the Jan. 6 insurrection, calling it “a day of love” and vindicating the perpetrators, whom he calls “patriots.” Such acts inflame a growing political divide, fueling supernationalist ideologies that will surely lead to the neglect of democracy. 

Ultranationalism fits within consolidation; it unifies groups of people to carry out the government’s bidding. Moreover, ultranationalism can lead to a perceived need to exterminate “alien” ideas and people, prompting genocide.

Censorship and propaganda

Despite the Trump administration denouncing censorship under the Biden administration, the White House announced it will be selecting the journalists in its press pool, replacing selection from the nonpartisan White House Correspondents’ Association. This creates the possibility that only right-leaning media organizations will have access to the press room, restricting access to unbiased, credible information. The Pathfinder’s March editorial “The fight for the first: Protecting journalists across the country” discusses government censorship and misinformation in more detail.

“An educated populace, [open discourse and] free press are all important to have a democratic society,” Collins said.

Regardless of the administration’s emphasis on protecting the First Amendment, many books are being banned nationwide for commentary on themes related to race, gender and sexuality. One of these books is “Freckleface Strawberry,” a children’s book by Julianne Moore about self-acceptance. Many media outlets and companies are also reducing their criticism of Trump and removing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) from their sites to appease him. In these ways, censorship is becoming a greater concern in American society.

“I think censorship of the press [is a challenge to democracy]. For us to know what’s happening, [we] need journalists to tell the stories,” Collins said. “When journalists are denied access to an area or are scared to speak out, the population doesn’t know what’s happening, so I think step one in trying to destroy democracy is to destroy a free press.”

Furthermore, on April 24, the official Trump Store released a hat with “Trump 2028” embroidered on the front. Trump has suggested running for a third term multiple times, but the 22nd Amendment explicitly prohibits this. Additionally, the White House’s social media accounts posted “LONG LIVE THE KING” in the caption of an image depicting Trump wearing a crown, contradicting Article I, Section 9, Clause 8 of the U.S. Constitution, which forbids titles of nobility. As Trump prepares to challenge the long-established Constitution, these controversies divide American citizens everywhere and oppose the American democratic system. Because genocides generally occur in authoritarian nations and failed democracies, censorship and propaganda increase the risk of genocide. 

“I think [early 20th-century] Germany is the best example. They were a democracy, and the people wanted [fast] solutions to big problems. When people in power offer simple solutions to complex issues, they make it sound simple [for the population], and people are willing to give up freedoms to have these solutions,” Collins said. “That’s a step towards authoritarianism.”

Immigrants: The American pride and scapegoat

MAGA’s ideals of nativism and xenophobia take away from the celebration of America’s “melting pot” of cultures. Trump and his supporters now believe immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country.” Immigrants are erroneously blamed by the administration for increased crime rates, bringing disease into the country and reducing the number of available jobs.

Our democracy is in further jeopardy as the Trump administration is now challenging the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship for people born in the U.S. This is done as an effort to strip American citizenship away from children born to undocumented immigrants. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has begun detaining documented immigrants without due process. In addition, many students have had their visas revoked because of their involvement in protests supporting Palestinians, which should be protected under the First Amendment. 

Many students at West High have close ties to immigration; for example, sophomore Malik Helwani is the son of Syrian immigrants.

“If you’re going to give [immigrants] a visa, you should treat them like an American. They wanted to come to this country; they should not get their visas taken away [for] doing things that normal citizens can do,” Helwani said.

During a speech in Michigan, Trump dehumanized undocumented immigrants, calling them “animals.” The Trump administration’s stricter immigration policies affect documented and undocumented immigrants and make legal immigration “nearly impossible.” Dissolving our immigrant population means dissolving the very essence of America. The risk of genocide in the U.S. has greatly increased because of the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant rhetoric and xenophobic policies.

“When discrimination becomes sanctioned, especially [by] a state or a powerful group of people, [it] can lead to genocide,” Collins said.

Attacks on the LGBTQ+ community

Similar to immigrants, members of the LGBTQ+ community belong to an often-scapegoated social group. The LGBTQ+ community is blamed for the AIDS epidemic, grooming and the indoctrination of children via school curricula.

“I think the Trump administration coming into power has brought more blatant homophobia. I’ve always experienced that, but it’s definitely been more at school, which is weird. A lot of people don’t like you just because you’re queer, and that makes it hard to find community,” Coleman said.

Hate crimes targeting the LGBTQ+ community have surged in the last five years and since the beginning of Trump’s second term, the rights and well-being of LGBTQ+ members have been restricted by various orders that target gender identity. In compliance with federal rejection of DEI, the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network has stopped offering resources like “specialized mental health hotlines for gay and transgender people.” In addition, the Trump administration has scrubbed “gender ideology” from many federal sites, suppressing the rights and identities of transgender people. The neglect of the LGBTQ+ community’s health and rights endangers them and could lead to normalized discrimination, provoking genocide.

“I think, in general, changing policies can be good, but the [recent policy] change I’ve seen has not been good. A lot of [the policy changes are] restrictive — restricting health care, restricting autonomy — and that has had a negative impact on members of the LGBT community all around America,” sophomore Mae Coleman said.

Preventing atrocity, protecting democracy

The U.S. has a long history of denying civil rights to its people — a country founded in equality and built with discrimination. From slavery to the Indian Removal Act to Executive Order 9066, the U.S. has always shown potential factors of genocide, so what has changed?

Just as the combination of separation, consolidation and extermination creates genocide, the combination of political polarization, censorship and scapegoating creates our risk today. As a country, the U.S. is arguably the most divided it has ever been, containing all of the right components for genocide. Our government must recognize this division and make the necessary changes. Trump once said, “This is a republic of proud citizens who are united by our common conviction that America is the greatest nation in all of history,” but believing this lie is the issue. America is not the greatest and accepting this truth is the first step to change.

It’s not too late to turn back the tides of time. Foster empathy for your peers, and if you’re able, exercise your right to vote. West High has a significant population of first-generation immigrants and members of the LGBTQ+ community; do what you can to ensure they feel comfortable and protected in this changing political climate. Whether it be genocide or discrimination, ethnic cleansing or the death of democracy, we can’t let it happen here—not in the U.S.—not at West High.