A nation of immigrants? The case for a politically influential and intersectional immigrant identity in the United States

Abstract

ABSTRACT Do Americans identify as immigrants and, if so, what are the political implications? We argue that many Americans hold an immigrant identity, and that the strength of immigrant identity varies by race and immigrant generation. We find that an immigrant identity exists, that it is associated with several political outcomes, and that it is distinct from racial identity and a country-of-origin identity. We used the 2020 Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Study to provide an in-depth, cross-racial, and cross-generation analysis of immigrant identity in the United States. We hope this initial work creates more space for work on the political consequences of the United States’ complex identity as a nation of immigrants.