In the wake of Trump’s victory: Perceived migration stigma and post-election beliefs about one’s future

• In Event: International Migration Section Refereed Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): 04. Attitudes about immigrants/immigration

Abstract

In this research, we investigate symbolic (dis)empowerment, or the idea that sociopolitical events affect groups differently based on social identity, in the context of Donald Trump’s 2024 United States presidential victory. To do this, we introduce the first operationalization of a new concept: perceived migration stigma. Using post-election survey data (n=1,194), we analyze how individuals’ beliefs about what “most Americans” think about immigrants interact with their own nativity to shape anticipated life changes under the new administration. Regression results show a significant interaction: U.S.-born respondents who perceived higher migration stigma tended to expect improvements in their lives, while immigrants with similar perceptions anticipated a decline. These findings not only offer empirical evidence of symbolic (dis)empowerment in the wake of the 2024 presidential election but also support the validity of perceived migration stigma as a measurable construct that captures meta-attitudes about anti-immigrant prejudice related to crime, jobs, and culture.

Authors

• Maureen A. Eger, University of Southern California

• Emily Dunkel

• Margaux Grivel

• Lawrence Yang

• Bruce G Link, University of California-Riverside