Sources of Support for Immigration Restriction: Economics, Politics, or Anti-Latino Bias?

Are attitudes toward Latinos associated with public views of immigration policies more generally? In this study, we examine whether measures of derogation, disrespect, and discomfort toward Latinos shape support for restrictive immigration policies. We analyze the opinions of Anglo (non-Hispanic White) and African American respondents from the 2000 National Opinion Research Center (NORC) General Social Survey (GSS), which contained a special module on ethnicity and diversity issues. Our findings reveal that prejudicial attitudes toward Latinos (as measured by the derogation, disrespect, and discomfort variables) are the most consistently significant factors in shaping opinions about the number of immigrants to admit and the consequences of immigration. However, individual-level economic factors and group threat measures are insignificant. In addition, personal contact with Latinos is insignificant in the models. This study suggests that support for immigration restrictions stems in large measure from a common source: negativity toward Latinos. Policy opinions are therefore not solely shaped by evaluations of policy qua policy but also by attitudes toward the group most commonly associated with immigration.