American Attitudes toward Immigrants and Immigration Policy

Sobczak examines the impact of local structural conditions on Americans' attitudes toward immigrants and immigration policy. Results indicate social structure strongly predicts views of immigration policy, while shaping views of immigrants indirectly. Contrary to expectations, more favorable views of immigrants and immigration are elicited by residents of locales where structural conditions foster increased levels of intergroup association. Yet, the liberalizing effects of heterogeneous social structures do not extend to locales with precarious economic conditions or heightened levels of intergroup occupational competition. Instead such structural circumstances prompt negative reactions toward immigrants and immigration.