Public Reactions to Immigration in the U.S.: The Effects of Intergroup Contact and Political Orientation

ABSTRACT

This study investigated people’s reactions to Muslim and Latinx immigrants in the U.S. participants with positive intergroup contact and who were politically liberal showed less intergroup anxiety, less realistic and symbolic threat, and more willingness to help immigrants. The frequency of contact and immigration issue salience were associated with the willingness to help. When participants perceived the source of a pro-immigration message to be trustworthy, they reported less realistic threats and more willingness to help. Participants had differential response to Latinx and Muslim immigrants. While participants associated more realistic threats with Latinx immigrants, more symbolic threat was associated with Muslim immigrants.

KEYWORDS:

• Intergroup anxiety
• realistic and symbolic threat
• Latinx and Muslim immigrants
• political orientation
• intergroup contact

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Xiaodi Yan

Xiaodi Yan (Ph.D., 2021, Michigan State University) is an Assistant Professor in the Guangming School of Journalism and Communication at China University of Political Science and Law. She studies message effects in various contexts including intergroup relations, stigma, health and risks. She is also interested in the role of emotion and culture in these processes. email: [email protected].

Mary Bresnahan

Mary Bresnahan (Ph.D., 1985, University of Michigan) is a Beal Professor in the Department of Communication at Michigan State University. She has authored over 100 peer-reviewed journal publications. She conducts research on stigma and intergroup communication. She also studies breastfeeding attitudes and smoking prevention and cessation. email: [email protected].

Yi Zhu

Yi Zhu (Ph.D., 2019, Michigan State University) is an Assistant Professor in the School of Journalism and Communication at Beijing Normal University. His research includes intercultural communication between international students and American domestic students, intercultural conflict, facework, and stigma. email: [email protected].

Syed Ali Hussain

Syed Ali Hussain (Ph.D., 2018, Michigan State University) is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Habib University. His research is about social influence and persuasion; specifically exploring the role of nostalgic emotions to improve prosocial behaviours. email: [email protected].