Anti-immigrant Prejudice Research Articles

Essentialism Facilities Anti-Immigrant Prejudice, Reduces Contact with Immigrants and Explains Parent-Child Similarity in Anti-Immigrant Prejudice

Essentialism Facilities Anti-Immigrant Prejudice, Reduces Contact with Immigrants and Explains Parent-Child Similarity in Anti-Immigrant Prejudice

Social media and anti-immigrant prejudice: a multi-method analysis of the role of social media use, threat perceptions, and cognitive ability.

The discourse on immigration and immigrants is central to contemporary political and public discussions. Analyzing online conversations about immigrants provides valuable insights into public opinion, complemented by data from questionnaires on how attitudes are formed. The research includes two studies examining the expressive and informational use of social media. Study 1 conducted a computational text analysis of comments on Singaporean Facebook pages and forums, focusing on how social media is used to discuss immigrants. Study 2 utilized survey data to examine the use of social media at the individual level, testing the relationships between cognitive ability, perceptions of threat, negative emotions towards immigrants, and social media usage within the Integrated Threat Theory framework. Study 1 found that discussions about immigrants on social media often involved negative emotions and concerns about economic impact, such as competition for jobs and crime. Complementing these findings about perceived economic threats, Study 2 showed that individuals with higher social media usage and greater perceptions of threat were more likely to have negative emotions towards immigrants. These relationships were mediated by perceptions of threat and were stronger in individuals with lower cognitive abilities. The findings from both studies demonstrate the role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards immigrants, highlighting how perceived threats influence these attitudes. This research suggests the importance of considering how digital platforms contribute to public opinion on immigration, with implications for understanding the dynamics of attitude formation in the digital age.

How to design mediated contact against anti-immigrant prejudice: a systematic review

ABSTRACT This paper explores the consistent alignment of mediated intergroup contact and persuasive communication in prejudice reduction. Through a systematic review of literature, it provides a comprehensive overview of indirect mediated contact research (parasocial/vicarious contact) within the immigrant minority outgroup context. The study draws insights, particularly in message design, from persuasive communication for anti-immigrant prejudice reduction. Utilizing O'Keefe's [2016a. Communicator factors. In D. J. O’Keefe (Ed.), Persuasion: Theory and research (Third edition, pp. 130–157). SAGE] classification (message variables, recipient variables, and communicator variables), the review illuminates prevalent variables in current mediated contact studies and identifies opportunities and challenges for future research. The findings underscore the need for a more rigorous application of variables and geographical expansion in mediated contact empirical research. These results are discussed along with implications and recommendations for future research.

Regional Variation in Social Norms and Domestic Anti-Immigrant Hostility

Why are some ingroup members (i.e., natives) more tolerant of, or hostile toward, outgroup others (i.e., immigrants)? A large volume of evidence exists attempting to address this issue. The bulk of findings from observational and experimental research focuses on the dual concept of ‘realistic’ and ‘symbolic’ threat, operationalized in terms of migrant stock or percentage of foreign-born population. According to the literature, a higher stock generally indicates a higher threat, which in turn implies greater xenophobic sentiment. Against this backdrop, the present study shifts the analytic emphasis to a novel explanatory mechanism in the US context: strength of social norms at the state level. Specifically, by drawing on the concept of cultural tightness-looseness, it asks whether American citizens in a geographic region characterized by strong social norms and stringent sanctioning of deviance are, on average, more xenophobic. Results from mixed effects models provide substantial support. Based on nationally representative data collected by the Pew Research Center (2018) during the height of Trump administration, the analysis reveals that cultural tightness has a contextual effect: net of controls, residency in a state with a higher index score is associated with greater levels of anti-immigrant prejudice and stronger preference for anti-immigration policy.

Refugee reception, extreme-right voting, and compositional amenities: Evidence from Italian municipalities

We use data from Italy to study the political and social impact of a refugee reception policy (SPRAR) directly managed by local governments, whose features recall the conditions of the contact theory (Allport, 1954). Instrumental variables estimates indicate that municipalities that opened a refugee center between the 2013 and 2018 national elections experienced a change in the vote shares of extreme-right parties that is approximately 7 percentage points lower compared to municipalities that did not open a refugee center. We document that the positive impact of SPRARs on “compositional amenities” (i.e., local schools) and population growth allows explaining the negative impact on anti-immigrant prejudice. Finally, we provide evidence of spillovers in prejudice reduction in neighboring municipalities without a SPRAR.

More Kindness, Less Prejudice against Immigrants? A Preliminary Study with Adolescents.

Prejudice against immigrants is a relevant research topic within social psychology. Researchers identified several individual variables affecting anti-immigrant prejudice, such as morality and personality. However, until now, prejudice has never been studied in relation to kindness, which might be a significant protective factor against prejudice. Based on Kohlberg's theory of moral judgement, four stage dimensions of kindness were identified, from egocentric to authentic kindness (i.e., a means for social progress and improvement). This study aims to explore the relationship between the four kindness dimensions and blatant and subtle prejudice against immigrants in adolescence, by also considering the moderating role of adolescents' sex. It involved 215 Italian participants (77% girls), who were asked to fill in a self-report questionnaire. Results showed that boys scored higher on egocentric kindness than girls, but no sex differences emerged for prejudice. Egocentric and extrinsically motivated kindness appeared to be risk factors for prejudice, whereas the most authentic form of kindness was a protective factor. In addition, adolescents' sex moderated the relationship between egocentric kindness and blatant prejudice, whereby this association was stronger for boys. The implications of these findings, the study's limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Addressing the effect of concern with COVID-19 threat on prejudice towards immigrants: The sequential mediating role of need for cognitive closure and desire for cultural tightness

The link between threat and anti-immigrant prejudice is well-established. Relatedly, recent research has also shown that situational threats (such as concern with COVID-19 threat) increase anti-immigrant prejudice through the mediating role of desire for cultural tightness. This study aims to further our understanding of the psychological processes underlying the relation between concern with COVID-19 threat and increased negative attitudes towards immigrants by considering the mediational role of an individual epistemic motivation (i.e., the need for cognitive closure). A study was conducted on a large sample of Italian respondents covering all the Italian regions. Findings revealed that high concern with COVID-19 threat led to increased negative attitudes towards immigrants through the sequential mediating role of higher need for cognitive closure, leading in turn to higher desire for cultural tightness. Implications of these findings for a timely contextualized study of anti-immigrant prejudice will be highlighted.

Policies and prejudice: Integration policies moderate the link between immigrant presence and anti-immigrant prejudice.

More people than ever migrate across the world, thereby more people than ever live, study, and work in countries, regions, and institutions with high immigrant presence. Conflict and threat theories have argued that increasing immigration inevitably heightens native citizens' anti-immigrant prejudice. Drawing on alternate strands of social psychological literature such as contact theory, the present study challenges this argument. We highlight the role of the sociopolitical context of prejudice focusing on socioeconomic and legal integration policies. We reason that such integration policies shape intergroup relations by reducing structural (socioeconomic and legal) inequalities. Thus, inclusive policies will effectively reduce prejudice especially at high levels of immigrant presence through empowering immigrants and reducing immigrant disadvantage. Indeed our findings identify inclusive integration policies as a key condition for low anti-immigrant prejudice in high-immigration contexts. We analyze surveys of 143,752 participants across 66 different countries, 20 subnational regions, and 64 institutions as sociopolitical contexts using six different data sets in eight studies. Our multilevel analyses consistently demonstrate that anti-immigrant prejudice is lower among natives when higher levels of immigrant presence are coupled with inclusive, rather than exclusive, integration policies. Inclusive policies that render immigrants more equal to natives are the path to improved intergroup relations and social cohesion in diverse societies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

The Impact of Covid-19 On Migrants and Trafficked Persons in Malaysia

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted people’s lives, economic status, and daily routine. The extensive scale of the virus has caused fear, confusion and panic throughout the globe spurring states to devise stringent procedures to manage the crisis. In Malaysia, A Movement Control Order (MCO) was implemented on 18 March 2020 as a preventive measure to control the spread of the virus. To enforce such restrictions, the government relies heavily on law enforcers, and the criminal justice system to ensure public safety and security. In light of such restrictive measures, those who are severely impacted by such repressive rules are the marginalized communities. This includes trafficked persons, migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers as law enforcers seek to use the pandemic to further control their movements and restrict their rights wherever possible. In this instance, xenophobia, anti-immigrant prejudice, intolerance, social exclusion, and discrimination exacerbates the vulnerability of migrants particularly undocumented migrants and trafficked victims. According to human rights activists, these groups are exposed to regular insults, verbal abuse, threat, public shaming and blame by citizens, employers, politicians, and enforcement agencies. Therefore, this article highlights two main points. They are: xenophobia between the dominant populations and the migrant community in Malaysia; state’s policing of migrants and the conditions of the detention centres and shelters in Malaysia. The article concludes by arguing that the policing and ‘protection’ of migrants during the pandemic have resulted in irreparable harm, mistrust, and stress among the migrants which undermines the positive development outcomes of migration.

Supplemental Material for Policies and Prejudice: Integration Policies Moderate the Link Between Immigrant Presence and Anti-Immigrant Prejudice

Supplemental Material for Policies and Prejudice: Integration Policies Moderate the Link Between Immigrant Presence and Anti-Immigrant Prejudice

Integration Policies and Public Perceptions of Immigrants in Europe

National mechanisms of migrant integration into the host society and the wider social context in which migration occurs may affect the construction of public attitudes towards migrants regardless of their origin or status. By combining the data of two international studies: the Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX) and the European Social Survey (ESS), this paper examines national policies regarding migrant integration and the public perception of migrants in the host society in selected European countries. This analysis highlights especially the shifts in public attitudes as possible consequences of the 2015/2016 European “migration crisis”. The data from 27 European countries that participated in the last waves of both MIPEX2020 and ESS2018 were analysed according to the four-dimensional MIPEX categorisation: 1) Comprehensive integration, 2) Equality on paper, 3) Temporary integration, and 4) Immigration without integration (Integration denied). These categories of states’ migration policies were then combined with the public perceptions of immigrants examined by the ESS. Multilevel regression models demonstrated that the respondents from countries with well-developed integration policies express a more positive attitude towards immigrants and acknowledge their contribution to all areas of the host society. A higher proportion of non-EU-27 immigrants in the country correlates with a more negative perception of immigrants’ impact on the host country. Even though the MIPEX score does not reflect clearly the shift in migration policies affected by the European “migration crisis”, it could be considered a stable, though relatively weak predictor of anti-immigrant prejudice. In conclusion, this study's findings suggest that better-developed policies of political participation and immigrant inclusion foster more positive attitudes towards immigrants.

Scientifically Informed Solidarity: Changing Anti-Immigrant Prejudice about Universal Access to Health

Currently, anti-immigrant sentiment has emerged again in European countries, as witnessed, for example, by the rise of xenophobic parties in many member states. This is a prejudice that is not new but that intensifies in certain circumstances, such as the economic crisis. This change in attitudes towards immigration has an impact on the preferences of citizens regarding the universal access to public resources and rights. The results of this article come from the analysis of certain variables of the Transnational European Solidarity Survey (TESS) conducted during 2016 in 13 member countries of the European Union. Specifically, two packages of variables are analysed regarding the degree of solidarity in relation to the access to public health services for immigrants before and after receiving scientific information about the collective benefits of the provision of health for the entire population, including undocumented immigrants. While there is much literature that analyses how scientific literacy in health and education issues improves the situation of vulnerable groups, few studies have analysed how scientific knowledge helps to modify the prejudices and discriminatory attitudes of the general population, thus contributing to the improvement of the health of the entire population.

Anti-immigrant prejudice in a post-socialist context: the role of identity-based explanations

ABSTRACT The model of ethnification posits that in post-socialist contexts ethnic identities are used as a source for political mobilization against ethnic outgroups. In Croatia, this is further amplified by collective war experiences. This paper investigates the association between identity-based variables, related to ethnification and war experiences, and anti-immigrant prejudice in Croatia. The study employed structural equation modelling of the data from a large youth sample (N = 1,034). Higher ethnic threat, lower cultural capital, more exclusive conception of nationhood and right-wing political orientation predicted stronger anti-immigrant prejudice. Ethnic threat moderated the effect of political orientation on prejudice: under high ethnic threat there was no difference between left-wing and right-wing individuals. As the results correspond to findings from Western countries, we argue that comparable explanations of anti-immigrant prejudice may be applied to non-Western and Western contexts.

Explaining Immigrants' Worries About Ethnic Harassment: Germany, 1986-2004.

What factors shape immigrants' worries about becoming targets of ethnic harassment? This is an important question to ask, but most previous studies restricted their focus to the microlevel only. By contrast, few if any studies examined the possible macrolevel antecedents driving harassment-related worries among immigrants. This study aims to help fill this gap. Focusing on a 19-years period from 1986 to 2004 in Germany, we apply multilevel regression modeling techniques to repeated cross-sectional survey data collected among immigrants of Greek, Italian, Spanish, Turkish, and (ex-) Yugoslavian origin, linked with contextual characteristics. Our central finding is that German citizens' anti-immigrant prejudice is the key driver of longitudinal differences in immigrants' harassment-related worries. This association holds net of rival variables, such as fluctuations in media attention to ethnic harassment, as well as across all immigrant groups under study. These results bring us one important step further toward a better understanding of interethnic relations between immigrants and host society members.

Direct en indirect contact

Summary Direct and indirect contact: how personal contact and contact through media affect attitudes towards different ethnic groupsThe composition of Dutch society has altered drastically in the last decades. This expanding diversity in terms of culture and religion was accompanied by increased tension and prejudice amongst Dutch citizens. Although we already know a lot about the potential causes of anti-immigrant prejudice among adults, we know less about the processes among Dutch young adolescents (age 16-23). Young adolescents do not fear much direct economic competition yet, and they get much of the information about other cultures through (new) media. Based on contact theory we formulate assumptions with regard to direct (personal) contact as well as indirect contact (via media). In addition, we distinguish attitudes towards Turks and Moroccans from those towards Antilleans and Surinamese. We found that positive personal contact has a strong effect in enhancing positive attitudes for both groups and that social media are able to further enhance the effect of positive contact. Online news websites play the biggest role in decreasing positive attitudes. Finally, all effects showed to be stronger for attitudes towards Turks and Moroccans than towards Antilleans and Surinamese migrants.

Resentments in the cosmopolis: Anti-immigrant attitudes in postcolonial Singapore

This paper presents an analysis of the predictors of anti-immigrant attitudes in the postcolonial society of Singapore based on an examination of the impact of group threat on these resentments. The binary regression analysis finds that direct or parental immigration experience has a mitigating impact on anti-immigrant attitudes, while homophobia is the strongest predictor of anti-immigrant prejudice. However, the preference for Singaporeans over immigrants in the allocation of jobs during times of scarce work and low levels of trust in strangers reinforce anti-immigrant sentiments in Singapore. The outcomes presented in the paper suggest that group threat theory has only a moderate explanatory power and that feelings of mistrust deserve more attention in the future for explaining group-based hostile attitudes in plural contexts. Consequently, multicultural Singaporean society exhibits an attitudinal composition that corresponds only partly with group threat theory but with the assumption of the interrelatedness of prejudices.

Anti-immigrant prejudice: Understanding the roles of (perceived) values and value dissimilarity.

Although human values and value dissimilarity play pivotal roles in the prejudice literature, there remain important gaps in our understanding. To address these gaps, we recruited three British samples (N = 350) and presented Muslim immigrants, refugees, and economic migrants as target groups. Using polynomial regression analyses, we simultaneously tested effects of individuals' own values, their perceptions of immigrant values, and self-immigrant value dissimilarities on prejudice. Results indicated that favorability toward immigrants is higher when individuals hold higher self-transcendence values (e.g., equality) and lower self-enhancement values (e.g., power), and when they perceive immigrants to hold higher self-transcendence values and lower self-enhancement values. In addition, prejudice toward immigrants is higher when individuals who hold higher conservation values (e.g., security) perceive immigrants to value openness (e.g., freedom) more, suggesting a value dissimilarity effect. No value dissimilarity effects emerged when immigrants were perceived to be higher in conservation, self-transcendence, or self-enhancement values. Overall, these results showed that effects of values and value dissimilarity differ depending on which value dimension is considered. Additionally, the results revealed support for a novel mechanism with the motivation to be nonprejudiced underpinning the links between individuals' values and prejudice. Our discussion highlights the multifaceted manner in which values are linked to prejudice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

The surprising politics of anti-immigrant prejudice: How political conservatism moderates the effect of immigrant race and religion on infrahumanization judgements.

Attitudes towards immigrants in the United Kingdom are worsening. It has been posited that these attitudes may reflect covert racial and religious prejudices, particularly among conservatives. To investigate this, two studies examined the role that immigrant race (Black/White; Study 1) and immigrant religion (Muslim/non-Muslim; Study 2) played in immigrant infrahumanization judgements, using political conservatism as a moderating variable. There was a moderating effect of political conservatism; however, it was not in the predicted direction. The results of both studies indicated that immigrant race (Black) and immigrant religion (Muslim) predicted greater infrahumanization when political conservatism was low. Conservatives infrahumanized all immigrants equally (and more than liberals), but liberals were more sensitive to racial/religious biases in their evaluations of immigrants.

The Role of Language in Anti-Immigrant Prejudice: What Can We Learn from Immigrants’ Historical Experiences?

Prejudice remains an unpleasant experience in immigrants’ everyday lives, especially for those of stigmatized groups. In the recurring struggle of various immigrant groups, historical and contemporary events reveal the important role of language in the creation, transmission, and perpetuation of anti-immigrant prejudice. Living in an anti-immigrant climate, immigrants are frequently exposed to stigmatizing language in both political and social discourse. This may be a more significant and frequent experience for immigrants since the beginning of the 2016 United States presidential election. Although it has long been understood that language is inextricably linked with prejudice, the investigation of the role of language in creating, transmitting, and perpetuating anti-immigrant prejudice remains undeveloped in social work research. This paper provides a theoretical explanation of anti-immigrant sentiment by discussing how stigmatization has allowed for immigrants to be subjected to various forms of prejudice throughout history. Building upon prior theoretical concepts of stigma, this paper argues that being an immigrant is a stigma. This paper reviews historical and contemporary cases of prejudice against immigrants to provide evidence for how stigmatizing language transmits and perpetuates anti-immigrant prejudice in the United States and building upon prior stigma theories, defines one’s status of an immigrant to be form of stigma itself. The paper concludes with a call for appreciable attention to the role of language in anti-immigrant prejudice and the need for social workers to advocate for immigrants within higher education and in our communities to reduce such stigma though social work practice, education and research.

Supplemental Material for Anti-Immigrant Prejudice: Understanding the Roles of (Perceived) Values and Value Dissimilarity

Supplemental Material for Anti-Immigrant Prejudice: Understanding the Roles of (Perceived) Values and Value Dissimilarity