The term "Merit" and Immgration
 

Merit based immigration is a slogan rather than a policy.

From the beginning of our nation nearly all immigration has been family-based in nature, so when Trump wants to get rid of so called chain immigration what he really means is that he wants to reduce immigration period. From what I remember from American history there has never been a time when just single people were allowed to immigrate. Many single people did immigrate however and bring family member over later on. This is how America was built.

Plus if you eliminated the ability for immigrants to sponsor relatives you would reduce the number of skilled immigrants in general since most people who are able to come to the US in the first place are at the top of their home nation's socio-economic ladder already. They might not be all engineers and doctors when they come to the US but they do end up being assets to the nation in other ways.

Yeah there is a lot of talk about Canada's "merit" based system but don't get fooled by the term merit. Both the United States and Canada are nations that have a long history of welcoming immigrants. Plus in Canada 28 percent of all immigration is still so called "chain migration." In Australia chain migration is 30%.

Don't let a moron use semantics fool you. Well I guess in many cases that is too late.

Trump is trying to limit the burgeoning brown population to the point where it does not challenge effectively the political dominance of white people.

He and the Republican right wing base are in a losing situation.

1) It is impossible to seal the southern border.

2) Many areas now occupied by brown people have reached a critical mass where they can comfortably absorb illegals. These illegals are creating citizens.

3) White people - with a few exceptions - have become self absorbed. They seem to invest in denying the presence/creation of children.

4)I believe any merit system installed would favor Asians...largely brown.

5) Many of Trump's tweets, sayings indicate his opposition to brown people and this will drive more browns to the Democrats. Long term it does not look good for white Republicans.

Some people think it a matter of grave concern that brown illegals are creating citizens, while white people are self-absorbed.

There is a name for this sort of feeling.

Is there really some reason I should be concerned about the average hue of Americans, or the relative proportion of various color groups? Other than an instinct I do not find controlling?

"Birds of a feather flock together" might apply.

Yes, they often do.

But is it important that one's 'flock' be of maximum size and power?

It is if one wants to hold on the power. "They are different" or "not one of us" will apply since color is a primary distinguishing factor.

Funny use of the word 'one' in the context of huge populations groups. But I guess that's how racial identity works--that huge group is 'you,' in some emotional/psychological way.

Your view is, then, is that people are racist, and that's that?

Is racism and racial preference the same?
Is preference and prejudice one and the same?

I think culturalism is often mislabeled as racism, and those who mislabel it so often possess racial prejudices.

Different points on a scale, that's all.