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I first learned that my American identity was a matter of public perception rather than personal history about a decade ago. I was at journalism school in New York City and meeting with a career counselor. You should print U.S. citizen at the top of your résumé, she said as soon as I sat down. I did not understand. I was born and brought up in the United States. At the time, my very short résumé consisted of college in the U.S., two years of federal government service, and one year teaching English in Malaysia under the auspices of a Fulbright grant, which also requires U.S. citizenship. Look at you, the counselor continued. Its not obvious. The light started to dawn on me. Ethnically, Im half-Chinese-Indonesian and half-Indian, which is to say Im as brown as a chocolate-chip-cookie. Ive been mistaken for Hispanic, Black, and a dozen varieties of Asian. Still, I speak English with an American twang, and in Malaysia my students had cooed over how I sounded like Miley Cyrus. (I decided it was a compliment.) Whats more American than being a racial mutt with a valley girl accent? In the end, my practical side won out. The counselor was an immigrant herself and it was clear that she had my best interests at heart. I decided getting a job was more important than any tender feelings I had about race and identity, and printed U.S. citizen on my résumé right under my name. It turned out to be good advice. At one of my first job interviews, and editor hemmed and hawed and then came out straight with it. Look, she said. You seem great, but I need to ask. Are you cleared to work in the U.S.? I pointed to the U.S. citizen under my name. Oh, she said. I missed that. Later, I checked with a white friend who was half-French and half-American. Shed grown up in South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia, and then completed her undergrad degree in the U.K. Had anyone asked her for her citizenship during job interviews? I asked. Never, she said. Despite my skin color, or perhaps because of my career counselors advice, I did manage to land a job. On the first day, I brought in my passport and gave it to HR. A few hours later, I received a noteHR had some questions. I need to see proof of citizenship, the man said. Hed somehow managed to ignore the cover of my passportwhich read United States of Americaand missed the front page with all of my identifying information including birthplace, and skipped to the very middle where my Malaysian visa was buried. Are you Malaysian? he asked. It’s not just about feelings You could argue these matters of perception arent important in the large scheme of thingsand for a long time thats what I told myself. So what if my feelings were hurt? I had deeply talented colleagues who were struggling to get hired because they didnt have U.S. citizenship. At the end of the day, HR eventually apologized and I kept the job. I had the birthright and the papers. Yet, it turns out these questions do matter because they get to the heart of who the government wants to stay and who people are willing to protect. While President Trump is ostensibly only going after people who are illegally in the United States, fundamentally hes asking a question thats been simmering in the background of the American psyche for both Democrats and Republicans: Who is an American? Who deserves access to job opportunities and government benefits? The answers to the question who belongs in America is complicated. According to new data from Pew Research Center, about 52% of Americans (whoever we are) believe this has to do with where you are born, 79% say it has to do with language (bad news for naturalized citizens like my parents who speak with heavy accents), and 70% say it has to do with culture and traditionwhich is a tricky statement for a colonized country made up of immigrants. Discourse aside, were already seeing some answers at play. In the wake of Trumps executive order, which attempts to rescind birthright citizenship from children born in the United States to parents who are not citizens or green card holders, Native Americanswho are indubitably more American than anyone else in the countryare getting harassed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). There are also reports of citizens getting swept up in ICE raids: Between 2015 and 2020, over 650 citizens were detained in such raids. This becomes even more pressing when you consider that Missouri state Senator David Gregory has introduced a bill that would give people a $1,000 reward for turning in illegal aliens. However, there is no punishment for turning in a legitimate citizen. If this bill should come to pass, the question becomes who seems like they dont belong? Its tempting to rage (and believe me I have) at the current administration, but there are larger questions all of us need to confront. Were in a country made up of immigrants, built ostensibly for immigrants, where the population is becoming increasingly browner and race relations are becoming worse, not better, according to survey data from Pew Research. What will it take for us to stop linking American identity to skin color? What will it take for us to treat all Americans equally? Should Missouris bill come to pass, I doubt people will be turning in white people, although they do make up about 20% of illegal immigrants. There is no way to tell just by looking at someone whether they are an American citizen or legally here, but I do know who will be looked at with suspicion: me and people who look like me.
Category:
E-Commerce
President Donald Trump’s tariffs on steel imports this week could wreak havoc on American auto manufacturing, industry leaders say. The moves align with the Trump administration’s aggressive global trade agenda and ambitions to strengthen U.S. industry, but they could have an inverse effect. On March 12, all steel imports will be taxed at a minimum of 25%, the result of two orders the president signed Monday that also include a 25% tariff on aluminum. That could have a serious impact on domestic auto companies including Ford, GM and Stellantis and make these companies’ vehicles more expensive for the nation’s car buyers. Tariffs on crucial products coming from outside of the U.S. places pressure on domestic sourcing of the materials, experts say. The basic rules of supply and demand could drive up costs. Steel producers have to find ways to increase capacity, and aluminum and steel might be in short supply in the short term, said Sam Fiorani, analyst at AutoForecast Solutions, which studies the industry. Producing vehicles has a lot of moving parts, and raising the price of what is among the most important components of the vehicle is only going to raise the price of an already expensive product. The average transaction price for a new vehicle in the U.S. in January was $48,641, according to auto-buying resource Kelley Blue Book a hefty investment for an inflation-sensitive consumer. Tariffs such as these do nothing to enhance the automotive industry directly, Fiorani said. To Ford CEO Jim Farley, Trump’s early actions in office which also include 25% tariffs on goods coming from Mexico and Canada, although delayed by a month are already challenging the Dearborn, Michigan, automaker. The Trump administration has also upended electric vehicle policy put in place under former President Joe Biden, targeted EV charging infrastructure, as well as directed review of vehicle emissions and fuel economy rules all of which could play a role in automaker plans to decarbonize. Already, auto companies have pulled back some electrification plans amid shifts in the market. Most of the three automakers steel and aluminum already comes from North America, Ford included; CFO Sherry House noted Tuesday during a Wolfe Research conference that 90% of the company’s steel comes from the U.S., and that aluminum is also not that competitive. Still, Farley said Tuesday during the same conference that So far what were seeing is a lot of cost, and a lot of chaos.” Farley said: The reality is, though, our suppliers have international sources for aluminum steel. So that price will come through and it may be a speculative part in the market where price would come up because the tariffs are even rumored. A spokesperson for Ford deferred to Farley’s comments when reached out to for additional comment. A spokesperson for Stellantis declined to comment. GM did not respond to request for comment before publication. Were concerned about the downstream effects on consumer products like automobiles, said Glenn Stevens Jr., executive director of MichAuto, a state auto industry association. The concern whenever you have a scenario like this, and Im not an economist, but I follow this very closely, is that the short-term benefits of higher prices for steel and aluminum for domestic production are outweighed by a decrease in downstream effects. The auto industry, its a very competitive business,” he added. “You cant change supply chains very quickly and you certainly cant change manufacturing locations very quickly. Trump also placed tariffs on steel and aluminum in 2018 during his first stint in the White House. Automakers had to revise their financial plans for the year as their outlooks fell as a result, according to Fiorani. Industries like automotive have built their entire financial plan based on sourcing products where they can; locally, if its possible, globally, if it makes the most sense, he added. Interfering with the natural order of things slows down the progress and raises costs. ___ Associated Press reporter Isabella Volmert contributed to this report from Lansing, Mich. ___ Alexa St. John is an Associated Press climate solutions reporter. Follow her on X: @alexa_stjohn. Reach her at ast.john@ap.org. ___ Read more of APs climate coverage at http://www.apnews.com/climate-and-environment ___ The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. Alexa St. John, Associated Press
Category:
E-Commerce
It has been a rough 2025 for Tesla investors so far. After the companys stock price (Nasdaq: TSLA) hit an all-time high of over $488 per share in December 2024pushing Elon Musks net worth to north of $400 billionTesla shares have plummeted. As of yesterdays close, a day that saw TSLA shares dip more than 6% in a single trading session, the stock price has fallen over 18% since the new year alone But much of 2025s decline has happened since a specific date: January 21, the first trading day after President Donald Trump was sworn into office for a second term and one day after the president signed an order creating the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Since then, Tesla shares have fallen from a post-inauguration Monday high of over $433 per share to below $329 per share as of yesterday’s close, according to data from Yahoo Finance. So, what is precipitating this stock price fall? Here are some likely possibilities. Is DOGE harming Teslas brand? Its hard not to look at the $100 price drop since DOGE was created and started wreaking havoc across federal government agencies and believe there may be some causation. As a matter of fact, detractors of Elon Muskand those who outright loathe himwould probably be quick to jump to the conclusion that Musks DOGE antics are the reason Teslas stock price is sinking. This isnt to say these people are wrong. Its very, very difficult to see how Musks DOGE involvement isnt alienating many of the companys more affluent, eco-friendly, liberal progressives who were among Teslas core customers. However, it is probably too early to proclaim that any such alienation has already materially affected Teslas bottom lineyet. After all, its only been three weeks since DOGE came into creation and its not like Tesla gives a running daily tally on how many cars it sells. So we don’t know if or how much Tesla sales have actually declined since the creation of DOGE. However, many Tesla investors are likely worried about Musks DOGE involvement, and the negative press the department has received may harm Tesla sales now and into the future. Worried investors tend to sell stockespecially to lock in any existing gains before the future brings pain to the share price. Given this, it seems reasonable to believe that Teslas declining share price since January 21 is at least somewhat a reflection of investors fears and anxieties over Musk and DOGE tarnishing the companys once-stellar reputation. Musks involvement in far-right politics in Europe Another possibility for Teslas recent share price fall may be related to Musks actions outside of the United States. In recent months, Musk has inserted himself into the politics of many European nations, most notably Germany, where he has used his own personal brand to boost the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party, proclaiming on his X social media platform in December that Only the AfD can save Germany. Musks increasing involvement in far-right politics in Europe has caught many by alarm (or, as Bill Gates put it, Musks involvement was insane shit). And there is some evidence that Musks European antics may be harming Tesla sales on the continent. As the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) reported, Tesla sales plunged in Germany by nearly 60% in January. The Financial Times has reported that Tesla sales are plummeting in other European nations as well, with sales in France down 63% in January versus the same month a year earlier, and Reuters reporting that Tesla registrations were down in Sweden by 44% and in Norway by 38% in January versus the same month a year earlier. Is Musks association with far-right politics on the continent to blame? At the very least, it seems that Tesla investors are right to have concerns. When people start labeling your vehicles as swasticars, your brand might have an image issue. Increased EV competition Of course, investors could have other reasons to be bearish on Tesla stock. The most obvious is that the company is facing increasing competition around the globe. Long gone are the days when Tesla was the only electric vehicle maker on the market. It now has robust competition both at home and abroad. That includes Chinaone of Teslas most important markets. Yesterday, a large reason Tesla shares slid over 6% was due to the announcement that Chinese EV maker BYD would integrate DeepSeeks AI into its vehicles to help assist drivers with piloting the cars. This driver-assisted DeepSeek integration provides BYD with a major advantage over Tesla in China now. Driver-assist technologies cant be integrated into cars in China without regulators’ approval. Now, one of Teslas biggest competitors in the country can provide the popular technology to consumers. As CNBC notes, Teslas driver-assist technology, Full-Self Driving, has yet to receive rollout approval from Chinese regulators.
Category:
E-Commerce
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