Model Migrants: Perceptions of Immigrants in Rural and Urban Areas

• In Event: 1284 - Section on Racial and Ethnic Minorities Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 17. White Perceptions of Race/Ethnicity and Migration

Abstract

Using in-depth interview data from 48 native-born white residents in two communities (one rural, the other urban) in Western New York, I examine the context of immigrant reception. Residents’ responses revolved around the following themes: (1) positive appraisal, (2) acknowledgement of racism, prejudice, and nativism but not in their community, and (3) recognition that racism, prejudice, and nativism exist but criticism of it. The data suggest that threat is not salient when communities depend economically on migrants; moreover, historical moments, social settings, and circumstances influence sentiment. These factors create conditions of zero sum mobility in both locations (Alba 2009). In short, rural farmers admitted their needs for migrant workers and city dwellers accepted the role migrants play in revitalizing their neighborhood. This study contributes to the literature on group threat, threat perceptions, and threat narratives by focusing on migration and receiving contexts.

Author

• Watoii Rabii, State University of New York-Buffalo