Truly at home? Perceived belonging and immigrant incorporation

Abstract

Abstract A significant amount of research has been devoted to studying the sociopolitical incorporation of immigrants and their descendants both socially and structurally. However, questions remain about how psychological mechanisms play a role in the incorporation process. While some immigrants might internalize a sense of social alienation, others might be able to overcome the detrimental impact of historical and present-day exclusion and develop a psychological notion of belonging to US society. To test the role of a psychological mechanism in the incorporation process, I rely on national survey data from the 2016 Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey and a novel survey experiment. By leveraging these data, I examine the determinants of perceptions of inclusion in the United States among Latinos. The findings present a mixed picture of incorporation. I find that as Latinos become more familiarized with the United States culturally and socially, they are more likely to develop a sense of belonging. However, both experiencing discrimination and perceiving that the in-group faces discrimination negatively shape Latinos’ psychological sense of belongingness. Furthermore, receiving hostile messaging causes Latinos to feel less included in the US society. This paper highlights a social psychological mechanism of racialized incorporation, capturing whether immigrants and their descendants feel that they belong and are part of the host society.