Qualitative Ignorance Compared: Misperceptions of the Typical Immigrant’s Legal Status in the United States and Europe

• In Event: 581 - Section on International Migration Paper Session. Detention, Deportation, and the Refugee Crisis

Abstract

In the summer of 2015, Donald Trump kicked off his Presidential campaign in controversial fashion by characterizing Mexican immigrants as criminals, rapists, and drug dealers. Despite these claims being demonstrably false, they seem to have increased his popularity among potential voters. This curious pattern raises questions about how many ordinary Americans hold similarly faulty perceptions about immigrants. The current study contributes to the growing literature on misperceptions about foreign-born and minority populations by examining whether respondents view the typical immigrant’s legal status as documented or undocumented. I consider this qualitative misperception alongside the more often studied misperceptions of the immigrant population size (also known as innumeracy) and provide the first such internationally comparative analysis. Using data from the 2011 Transatlantic Trends Survey, that includes data from the U.S., U.K., Germany, Italy, and Spain, I consider the extent, and potential consequences of holding incorrect perceptions. While in all of the countries considered, documented immigrants substantially outnumber undocumented immigrants, preliminary results indicate many perceive a different reality. In fact, the majority of respondents in the U.S. and Italy view the typical immigrant as undocumented. Further, multivariate analyses indicate that these misperceptions are associated with an increased desire to implement stricter requirements for the admission of refugees, particularly in France and the U.K. Interestingly, the effects of qualitative misperceptions are stronger than innumeracy. Ideally this research will help us to better understand how ignorance and misinformation can motivate individuals to take certain actions and will help generate a more informed and accepting public.

Author

• Daniel E. Herda, Merrimack College