“Italians, first!” Unpacking the link between nationalism and immigrant discrimination

Abstract

The article investigates, theoretically and empirically, the mechanisms underlying the link between the normative and affective dimensions of national identity, perceived threats (realistic and symbolic), and outgroup trust‐related emotions as predictors of support for migrant employment policy based on the nativist argument. The National Identity Threat Trust model (NITT) is theorized and tested. Empirically, structural equation modelling was performed on survey data from the last wave of EVS Italy (2017). The analysis showed that the ethnic majoritarian conception has a positive impact on perceived collective threats (realistic and symbolic) and trust‐related emotions, which in turn influence support for discriminatory migrant employment policy. The civil conception contributes indirectly to increasing support for native employment priority via positive association with the perception of economic and symbolic threats. Citizens close to right-wing nativist parties exhibit a similar relationship structure to the rest of population. However, the “nativist” politicization of attitudes towards immigrants makes the symbolic threat a particularly salient factor.