In October 2023, a group named Return to the Land created its first “Whites only community” in Arkansas, followed by a second in 2025. They see themselves as a “private membership association” aiming to establish “European heritage communities.” With plans for four additional sites, including more in the Ozarks and Appalachia, the group believes this classification allows them to legally exclude non-white individuals based on race, religion, and sexual orientation. Co-founder Eric Orwoll promotes the idea of building white-only towns.
While they do not identify as white nationalists, their ideology aligns with it, as the goal of creating a white ethnostate remains central to white nationalism, which views white people as a superior race needing protection. Previous attempts to establish white ethnostates, like the Northwest Imperative from the late 20th century, have been met with mixed results.
Recent incidents include failed efforts in North Dakota and Maine, where local resistance thwarted such initiatives. These movements are part of a broader white nationalist agenda often fueled by anti-immigrant sentiments. High-profile acts of violence linked to these beliefs, such as those in El Paso and Buffalo, underscore the potential dangers of this ideology. Community pushback has been effective in many cases, and legal reviews of groups like Return to the Land are ongoing.
Overall, the rise of these enclaves reflects a troubling trend in extreme right-wing beliefs and the quest for territorial segregation based on race.
