The Paradox of Integration

Abstract

This study, conducted in The Netherlands, examines the “paradox of integration” proposition by focusing on the relationship between educational attainment and immigrants’ attitude toward the native population. We found that educational level is related to this attitude in two opposite ways. On the one hand, better educated immigrants had more voluntary contact with the native population, and more contact was associated with a more positive attitude, partly because of higher perceived acceptance and lower perceived discrimination. On the other hand and independently of contact, better educated immigrants had a less positive attitude toward the native population because of lower perceived acceptance and higher perceived group discrimination. The latter findings support the paradox of integration proposition. The pattern of results was quite similar for four different immigrant groups.