(iPoster) Identity, Competition, and Attitudes toward African Immigrants

• In Event: Poster Sessions: Migration and Citizenship & Political Beliefs and Democratic Legitimacy
  In Poster Session: Poster Session: Migration & Citizenship

Abstract

Existing research on attitudes toward immigrants has largely focused on the native–foreigner divide or inter-group dynamics, leaving intra-group dynamics underexplored. Although African Americans and African immigrants are often grouped together under a shared racial category in the United States, they experience distinct historical, cultural, and socio-economic realities that may shape perceptions of belonging, competition for limited resources, and social hierarchy.

This paper examines attitudes toward African immigrants, focusing on whether perceived identity or economic competition-based threats between African Americans and African immigrants drive negative attitudes. We conduct an original survey experiment with a sample of 2,000 U.S. adults, oversampling African American respondents. Our experiment design allows comparisons between African American respondents and other racial and ethnic groups, as well as tests of whether negative attitudes among African Americans toward African immigrants are primarily shaped by concerns about identity or by perceived competition for limited resources, such as jobs and social services.
By examining intra-racial attitudes within a racialized social context, this study contributes to an understanding of intra-group immigrant attitudes, expanding theoretical insights on race, immigration, and social hierarchies while informing broader conversations about immigrant integration and race relations in the U.S.

Authors

• Christopher Akor, The University of Alabama

• Kim-Lee Tuxhorn, University of Calgary

• Seungbin Park, University of Alabama