Social attitudes of Russian immigrants to the United States

This study examined attitudes of Russian immigrants to the United States on women's equality, abortion, homosexuality, and Blacks. Interviews with first-generation immigrants were conducted, and their attitudes were compared with those reported in the 1991 General Social Survey of U.S. residents. The immigrants held more pro-abortion, anti-homosexual, and anti-Black attitudes than the Americans did; they were also less supportive of women's equality. Attitudes toward Blacks were reported to have undergone the most change after immigration, whereas attitudes toward abortion remained stable. Assimilation and conformity were associated with changes in the immigrants' social attitudes.