E Pluribus Unum Narratives as of October 2025

This Storyboard - which we call our "stain" chart - shows you at a glance how strong or weak a given narrative is right now relative to its history.

For each narrative or "semantic signature" listed on the left of the chart, we have a series of blue dots on the right, each of which represents a specific weekly density or volume of that narrative. reading from within the date range that we are covering. The yellow arrow is the most recent reading, so it's just like the "YOU ARE HERE" spot on a map. The x-axis scale shows the range of index values.  If a dot is at 100, that means that story is 100% more present in media than usual. If it’s at 0, it means it’s at its normal level.

The light blue shaded box covers the middle 50% of readings across the date range, so you can see quickly if the current reading is typical (inside the blue box), depressed (left of the blue box), or elevated (to the right of the blue box).

If you hover over a specific blue dot, you will see the specific date and measurement that the dot represents.

Competing Visions of American Unity Dominate October Discourse

Global Talent Competition Intensifies as America Retreats

October marked a striking moment in American discourse about global talent, as Perscient's semantic signature tracking language celebrating America's ability to attract the world's best and brightest reached an all-time high of 3.33. This represents the strongest media emphasis on America's competitive advantage in drawing international talent since tracking began, rising 0.18 from the previous month.

Yet this celebratory rhetoric exists in tension with – and probably in response to - a dramatic shift in policy and practice. The Trump administration has moved aggressively to reshape higher education's relationship with international students, sending nine universities a proposal that would grant priority access to federal funding in exchange for sweeping changes. Among the ten demands: capping international undergraduate enrollment at 15% of the student body, with no more than 5% from any single country. President Trump has specifically proposed limiting Harvard's international student population to 15%, nearly half its current level.

The practical effects are already visible. DePaul University announced immediate spending cuts following a 30% decline in international enrollment this fall. Across the sector, the United States is projected to see a 20% decrease in foreign college students this year, with reports predicting $7 billion in lost revenue and over 60,000 jobs eliminated in the educational sector. August international student arrivals fell 19%, representing the steepest decline since the pandemic.

Media attention to debates about foreign enrollment has intensified accordingly. Perscient's semantic signature tracking language opposing excessive foreign enrollment at American institutions strengthened by 0.32 to reach a z-score of 2.08. Social media discourse reflects the polarization, with some voices arguing that 420,000 foreign new graduates entering the U.S. labor market in 2024 represents "labor replacement" rather than addressing any genuine shortage. Others question why nearly half of MIT's graduate slots should go to international students when most research assistantships are funded by U.S. taxpayers.

The debate occurs against a backdrop of genuine competitive pressure. While America's narrative about attracting talent remains strong, the country's global share of international doctoral students is shrinking as other nations invest aggressively in their own talent acquisition strategies. India is preparing a 'set-up grant' scheme to lure back overseas Indian-origin faculty in STEM priority areas, echoing China's talent-recall playbook. Meanwhile, data shows that international students from the U.S. are down 18% since their 2017 peak, with Indian students particularly affected.

Immigration Narratives Show Divergent Trends

While debates about international students intensified, broader immigration narratives showed more nuanced movement. Perscient's semantic signature tracking language arguing that mass migration is destroying America declined by 0.24 to a z-score of 1.13, representing a notable moderation from its recent all-time high of 2.57. The signature remains stronger than average but has moved away from peak intensity.

This shift in media coverage occurred alongside tangible policy developments. President Trump called off plans to "surge" federal law enforcement and immigration resources to San Francisco, citing conversations with "friends" in the area and the city's mayor. The reversal came after deploying 100 agents to the city and floating the possibility of National Guard involvement.

The administration's January 2025 executive orders on immigration policy had focused heavily on border enforcement, enhanced vetting, and deportation operations, restructuring U.S. immigration policy to emphasize enforcement mechanisms. The economic implications of these policies are beginning to draw attention from researchers and analysts. One study estimates that Trump's immigration policies would slash the workforce by 15.7 million and slow GDP growth by a third over the next decade, noting that "immigrants both create demand for the goods and services produced by U.S.-born workers and work alongside them in ways that increase productivity for both groups."

The demographic stakes are considerable. For the first time in nearly a century, more foreign-born people will likely leave the United States than will enter this year. Trump's sweeping crackdown on immigration is throwing foreigners out of work and affecting the American economy and job market in ways that extend beyond the immediate enforcement actions.

Meanwhile, Perscient's semantic signature tracking language celebrating immigrants' contributions to American greatness remained relatively flat at 0.65, maintaining a stronger-than-average presence but showing no significant monthly movement. The signature sits well below its all-time high of 2.41, indicating that while celebratory language about immigrants remains present in discourse, it is not dominant in the current media environment.

Cultural Unity Narratives Remain Subdued

The competing visions of American identity playing out in immigration and talent debates exist within a broader landscape where narratives of cultural unity remain notably weak. Perscient's semantic signature tracking language emphasizing American unity despite disagreements remained near average at -0.08, basically flat from the previous month.

This absence of unity-focused language persists even as discourse portraying domestic political opponents as existential threats maintains a stronger-than-average presence. The semantic signature tracking such language held steady at 0.53 in October. Social media reflects this polarization, with Speaker Johnson characterizing the philosophical divide between parties as wider than ever, stating "We are defending the foundational principles of America, restoring its greatness, American strength on the world stage and domestically. And the Democrats are electing Marxists."

Some voices express concern about this trajectory. One observer noted that "part of the radicalization in politics on both sides of the aisle is a collective collapse in 'hope' for the individual in America," arguing that "Americans are simply clinging to collectives in an attempt to survive." Others warn that "the backlash coming due to the illiberalism of this administration will be pronounced and will not find a sane liberalism but an insane illiberalism from the opposite side."

Perscient's semantic signature tracking language asserting that shared ideals unite Americans remained flat at 0.59, showing modestly elevated levels but no significant movement. Meanwhile, the signature tracking language arguing that American cultural unity has fragmented continued at -0.78, weaker than average in media discourse. This suggests that arguments about cultural fragmentation are not dominating coverage, but neither are counter-narratives about unity gaining traction.

The debate over what holds America together has taken on new dimensions. Some argue that "there have always been limits to E Pluribus Unum, and we overstretched its capacity over a hundred years ago. America isn't a melting pot. Diversity isn't our strength. America isn't an idea." Others maintain that "the United States of America is made up of people from all walks of life" who "all assimilate into the American way of life" and "subscribe to a common rule of law."

The persistent weakness in unity-focused signatures throughout October suggests that media narratives emphasizing common ground among Americans remain largely absent from the landscape. Instead, competing visions of American identity coexist without a dominant framework for reconciliation, leaving the discourse characterized more by parallel assertions than by attempts at synthesis or bridge-building.

Pulse is your AI analyst built on Perscient technology, summarizing the major changes and evolving narratives across our Storyboard signatures, and synthesizing that analysis with illustrative news articles and high-impact social media posts.