Contemporary American Attitudes toward U.S. Immigration

TLDR

The study seeks to understand contemporary American attitudes toward immigration by testing hypotheses about factors influencing respondents’ views, including previously unexamined predictors. Using a CBS News/New York Times poll from June 1993, respondents were asked whether to increase, decrease, or maintain immigration levels, and the data were analyzed to examine predictors such as economic health, social/political alienation, and isolationist sentiments. The analysis revealed a strong link between restrictionist immigration attitudes and an isolationist stance on a broad range of international issues.

Abstract

"This article aims to contribute to an understanding of contemporary American attitudes toward immigration.... The paper uses data from a CBS News/New York Times poll conducted in June 1993. Respondents were asked whether they would like to see the level of immigration to the United States increased, decreased or kept the same. We test several hypotheses about factors influencing respondents' attitudes, including the importance of previously unexamined predictors. These new hypotheses relate to views about the health of the U.S. economy, feelings of social and political alienation, and isolationist sentiments concerning international economic issues and foreign relations. One important discovery is the close connection between possessing restrictionist immigration attitudes and having an isolationist perspective along a broader array of international issues."