Race, Religion, and Immigration Policy Attitudes

Abstract

Using the pooled 2004 and 2008 National Politics Study, the present study indicates that while blacks are more likely than whites and Hispanics to hear political sermons, hearing such sermons more consistently associates with support for less restrictive immigration policies among whites than among both blacks and Hispanics. This may suggests that attending congregations where politics are heard provides whites with unique opportunities to think about their government’s obligation to immigrants. Alternatively, Hispanics may, by virtue of experiencing a direct or indirect immigration experience, be more supportive of liberal immigration policies regardless of the sermon they hear. Finally, we argue that the marginalized economic position of blacks may help explain why exposure to political sermons is largely unrelated to black immigration policy attitudes.