Immigrant Opposition in a Changing National Demographic

Abstract

This article advances the argument that the effects of demographic change on individual-level immigration policy preferences is dependent on the level of segregation in the individuals’ local context. Increases in the immigrant population in highly segregated counties should increase opposition to immigration because opportunities for contact and exposure are missing and group differences are emphasized. Meanwhile, population increases in more integrated counties should lead to an alleviation of interethnic tensions due to more frequent opportunities for contact. Furthermore, whites may react differently to changes in racial/ethnic composition of a local context depending on the particular group moving into the area because some groups are closer to fulfilling Allport’s equal status contact condition than others. The empirical analysis finds strong support for the first assertion that population growth of Latina/os and Asian Americans in highly segregated areas results in support for restrictive immigration policy, while population growth in more integrated areas results in support for permissive immigration policy. The results are inconclusive for the second assertion as the effects of Asian American and Latina/o population growth are so highly dependent on segregation levels.