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Is Immigration a Racial Issue? Anglo Attitudes on Immigration Policies in a Border County

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  • John W. Ayers
  • C. Richard Hofstetter
  • Keith Schnakenberg
  • Bohdan Kolody

Abstract

Objective. This study assesses the association between Anglo aversion to Latinos, physical proximity to Latinos, and contact with ethnic minorities, with expressed preferences for immigration policies. Methods. Data were drawn from a telephone survey of San Diego County, California, residents (N=549 Anglos) using random‐digit‐dial procedures during 2005–2006 that was conducted by closely supervised professional interviewers. Descriptive reports, tau‐b correlations, and multivariate logistic regressions were used for analysis. Results. Aversion to Latinos, as indicated by an adaptation of the Bogardus social distance scale, was related to more restrictionist attitudes about legal and Mexican immigration. Associations increased when respondents were primed to consider Mexican immigration, although aversion to Latinos was not related to attitudes about amnesty for undocumented persons. Contrary to some previous findings, proximity to Latino populations increased opposition to legal immigration and amnesty. Reported minority contact had minimal impact but increased support for amnesty. Conclusions. Attitudes about immigration may be motivated more by racial resentments than other considerations. Future research should identify racial factors that influence Anglo policy positions beyond the classic Anglo/African division that has dominated this research arena.

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  • John W. Ayers & C. Richard Hofstetter & Keith Schnakenberg & Bohdan Kolody, 2009. "Is Immigration a Racial Issue? Anglo Attitudes on Immigration Policies in a Border County," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 90(3), pages 593-610, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:socsci:v:90:y:2009:i:3:p:593-610
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-6237.2009.00633.x
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    1. Sears, David O. & Lau, Richard R. & Tyler, Tom R. & Allen, Harris M., 1980. "Self-Interest vs. Symbolic Politics in Policy Attitudes and Presidential Voting," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 74(3), pages 670-684, September.
    2. Sears, David O. & Laar, Colette van & Carillo, Mary & Kosterman, Rick, 1997. "Is It Really Racism? The Origins of White Americans' Opposition to Race-Targeted Policies," Institute for Social Science Research, Working Paper Series qt00j4p6z2, Institute for Social Science Research, UCLA.
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    Cited by:

    1. James Laurence & Katharina Schmid & Miles Hewstone, 2018. "Ethnic Diversity, Inter-group Attitudes and Countervailing Pathways of Positive and Negative Inter-group Contact: An Analysis Across Workplaces and Neighbourhoods," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 136(2), pages 719-749, April.
    2. Marfouk, Abdeslam, 2016. "I’m Neither Racist nor Xenophobic, but: Dissecting European Attitudes towards a Ban on Muslims’ Immigration," MPRA Paper 79747, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Brian P. An & Wei-Lin Chen, 2015. "The Role of Cognitive and Cultural Sophistication on Diversity Outcomes: Differences Across Fields of Study," Journal of Social Science Studies, Macrothink Institute, vol. 2(1), pages 144-164, January.
    4. Fiona Kate Barlow & Matthew J Hornsey & Michael Thai & Nikhil K Sengupta & Chris G Sibley, 2013. "The Wallpaper Effect: The Contact Hypothesis Fails for Minority Group Members Who Live in Areas with a High Proportion of Majority Group Members," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(12), pages 1-8, December.
    5. Benjamin R. Knoll, 2013. "Implicit Nativist Attitudes, Social Desirability, and Immigration Policy Preferences," International Migration Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(1), pages 132-165, March.

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