Stunted Acculturation: How Deportation Threat Forestalls Assimilation

• In Event: Causes and Consequences of Contemporary Immigration Policy

Abstract

Consistent with straight line assimilation theory, prior research demonstrates acculturation generates attitudinal convergence between immigrant group members and host country natives along several policy dimensions, including immigration. However, other perspectives suggest attitudinal convergence is not guaranteed in contexts where immigrant group members experience rebuff from the host country. I reconcile the perspectives and answer the puzzle of persistent pro-immigrant policy preferences among integrated Latinxs. In light of heightened interior immigration enforcement and the increased societal integration of undocumented immigrants in the U.S., I demonstrate perceptibly threatening immigration enforcement contexts forestall attitudinal convergence on immigration policy preferences across 6 nationally representative surveys of Latinxs. Absent deportation threat, Latinx immigration policy attitudes converge with white Anglos. Deportation threat operates net of well-established alternative mechanisms such as discrimination, ethnic context(s), and ethnic identity. These results problematize preexisting conclusions on the political consequences of threat and suggest attitudinal assimilation is not preordained among immigrant group members.

Author

• Marcel Roman, University of Texas, Austin