The Development of Immigration Attitudes

• In Event: Who belongs here? Children's attitudes about immigration and nationality

Abstract

Immigration is a stable global policy issue that continues to dominate both national and international headlines. In light of increased global migration and as governments experiment with new immigration policies, open questions concern the seeds of immigration attitudes. Indeed, little is known about when and how immigration attitudes emerge and change across development, especially as attitudes relate to immigrant status and assimilation. In two studies, we assessed children’s 1) preferences between natives and immigrants, 2) perceptions of native-immigrant intergroup relations, and 3) attitudes about immigrants’ voting rights and entitlement to resources. We presented 4 to 10-year-olds with fictional cartoon vignettes involving island natives and island immigrants. Using a between-subjects 2x2 factorial design, we manipulated immigrant status (fleers: left resource-poor island versus pursuers: left resource-rich island) and immigrant acculturation style (assimilated: adopted native culture versus separated: maintained original culture).

In Experiment 1, we measured children’s preferences between natives and immigrants, beliefs about immigrants’ entitlement to resources (i.e., land, food, and education), and perceptions about solidarity between natives and immigrants. Regarding preference, across conditions, children showed a native bias, except when immigrants were separated pursuers (in which case, children tended to show an immigrant-bias). Regarding resource entitlement, children generally believed in an equal distribution of resources, though younger children were more likely than older children to show a native bias. Regarding perceptions of intergroup solidarity, children generally believed that island immigrants (regardless of immigration status or acculturation style) liked the natives. However, when evaluating whether island natives liked the immigrants, children’s responses differed; notably, in the case of separated fleers, children often believed that island natives did not like the immigrants.

In Experiment 2, we examined children’s expectations and attitudes about immigrants’ voting power and political representation. Regarding voting power, children were presented with a dilemma in which a group of four islanders (native-immigrant ratio manipulated between-subjects) needed to make a decision between two different snacks. The native(s) wanted one type of snack and the immigrant(s) wanted the other. Preliminary analyses revealed that children generally favored the natives, but older children favored assimilated immigrants when immigrants were in the majority. Regarding political representation, children were introduced to an island election and given five options for an island government (varying in representation of natives and immigrants). Preliminary analyses revealed that younger children showed a native-bias whereas older children favored equal representation, especially for assimilated immigrants. Interestingly, independent of their own beliefs, children across ages generally predicted a native-majority government across conditions.

These findings reveal just how early immigration attitudes start to emerge, and how they change across development. Importantly, these findings demonstrate that children have different expectations and attitudes about immigrants based on their immigrant status and their acculturation style. Early examinations of immigration attitudes offer a unique opportunity to probe the roots of these attitudes. In an increasingly globalized and interconnected world, these findings offer a glimpse into the ontogeny and development of immigration attitudes.

Authors

• Radhika Santhanagopalan, University of Chicago
  Presenting Author

• Chris A Monteiro, Cornell University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Hannah Hok, University of Chicago
  Non-Presenting Author

• Amy R Krosch, Cornell University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Alex Shaw, University of Chicago
  Non-Presenting Author

• Katherine D. Kinzler, University of Chicago
  Non-Presenting Author