Still a Nation of Immigrants? Effects of Constructions of National History on Attitudes toward Immigrants

Abstract

In the United States, the phrase "nation of immigrants" is used to both promote and restrict immigration. Those who use the phrase to promote immigration point to the similarities between current and previous generations of immigrants, whereas those who use it to restrict immigration emphasize the differences between the two generations. The present study examined the effects of the different versions of this historical narrative (similarity-focused vs. difference-focused) on 210 U.S. residents' attitudes toward immigrants during the recent debate about immigration reform. Exposure to the similarity-focused nation of immigrants reduced perceptions of threat from Mexican immigrants but did not affect the already low level of perceived threat from Russian immigrants. The similarity-focused version of nation of immigrants exerted an indirect effect on perceived threat from both groups by inducing a sense of identity continuity, which reduced collective angst about the future of the people of the United States. The findings suggest that pro-immigration policy makers clearly articulate the meaning of nation of immigrants rather than use it as a cliché as the phrase has the potential to induce inclusive attitudes.

Piecing Together the American Voting Puzzle: How Voters’ Personalities and Judgments of Issue Importance Mattered in the 2016 Presidential Election

“…National identity importance. We measured NII in W1 using Bikmen's adaptation of the Collective Self-esteem Scale (Bikmen, 2015;Luhtanen & Crocker, 1992). The measure included four items that were rated on a 7-point Likert scale from Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree (e.g., "Being an American is an important reflection of who I am").…”

An Examination of the Attitudes towards Immigration across U.S. Demographic Groups

“…Scholars of many disciplines have been studying the intricate relationship between the benefits of immigration to the nation and anti-immigration views (Bikmen 2015;Chandler and Tsai 2001;Czaika 2015;Esses, Brochu, and Dickson 2012;Esses 2002). Sociologists, specifically, have been theorizing such correlation (Berg 2015;Fussell 2014).…”

All Americans are Not Perceived as “True” Americans: Implications for Policy

“…Such representations are not neutral and often molded to present the nation, and particularly those groups occupying high status (e.g., White Americans) in a positive light (Paez & Liu, 2010). Exposure to these selective historical narratives can thereby shape people’s connection between the past, present, and future of their nation, their particular definitions of national identity, and subsequent support for policies related to intergroup relations (e.g., Bikmen, 2015; Jetten & Wohl, 2012). For example, exposure to nation-glorifying immigration narratives (versus those that emphasize historical injustices against marginalized groups) is associated with assimilationist identity conceptions (Mukherjee et al, 2015).…”