Immigrants against Immigrants? Mapping Generational Trends of Anti-Immigration Attitude among Hispanic Immigrants (2002-2022)

• In Event: 20266 - Right-Wing Politics, Mobilities, and Immigrant Conservatism (Co-sponsored by Section on Political Sociology)

Abstract

Immigration has become a defining issue in contemporary politics worldwide, often polarizing public discourse and shaping electoral outcomes (Hopkins and Hainmueller 2014). While much research focuses on native-born opposition to immigration, far less attention has been given to the possibility of anti-immigration sentiments within immigrant communities (New York Times 2020, 2024). Now is a critical time to assess the prevalence, drivers, mechanisms behind this broader trend. In the summer, this project will systematically analyze anti-immigration attitudes among Latino immigrants in the United States with nationally-representative longitudinal data from the past 20 years. Preliminary findings show that first-, second-, and third+-generation Hispanic immigrants exhibit progressively higher levels of anti-immigration sentiment. Why does greater social, political, and economic integration into the US coincide with greater immigrant hostility? This paper sketches a first population-level trend assessment using longitudinal data and provides a foundation for future debates on conservatism and polarization.

Author

• Ann Jiang, University of California San Diego