Immigration (thread 12), Episode 3: The Gompers Paradox: The Immigrant Who Fought Immigration

This episode puts Samuel Gompers under the microscope: an immigrant-turned-labor-giant who fought for workers but also backed harsh limits on other immigrants. It’s a messy, uncomfortable story, and that’s the point.

We unpack how economic anxieties, race, and political power mixed in his time—and why the same questions about who benefits and who pays for immigration still ring true today.