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[Lime]

Original poll: http://www.vox.com/2016/7/6/12098622/immigration-worries-economy-security

http://thinkprogress.org/immigration/2016/07/07/3795723/americans-anti-immigrant-sentiment/

Anti-immigrant sentiment is driven mainly by concerns about immigrants making Americans less safe — and rests on racial assumptions about immigrants from the Middle East being most dangerous — according to new polling results.

The conversation about immigration reform is often focused on the supposed economic burden of immigrants. That was cited as one of the primary reasons that struggling U.K. residents who voted to leave the European Union were wooed by the Leave campaign, which relied on xenophobic messages about refugees to sell Brexit as a win for the working class. It’s also one of the reasons that immigration reform failed in the U.S. in 2007.

But according to the poll commissioned by Vox in partnership with Morning Consult, a nonpartisan media and technology company, American voters are worried about immigrants mostly because they have racialized fears of crime and terrorism.

The poll, which looks at Americans’ views on immigrants from various countries, found that white Americans tend to have negative opinions about immigrants from non-European countries. They’re least positive about immigrants from the Middle East, and also hold negative views about immigrants from Latin America and Africa. At the same time, however, white Americans have a much more positive view of European immigrants and Asian immigrants.

Security, not economy

Asked about why they’re concerned about immigration, 26 percent of survey respondents cited national security as a key reason. That didn’t change even among participants in difficult economic situations who might be expected to be more concerned about their job prospects. Parsing out working-class voters (defined by people without a college degree) and low-income participants (defined by people making under $50,000), both categories of participants were still more likely to say their top concern was immigrants hurting national security over immigrants weakening the economy.

The Vox poll reaches somewhat of a different conclusion than a recent Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) study, which found that rising terrorism concerns in the U.S. haven’t led more Americans to embrace a harsh approach to immigrants. The PRRI poll found that roughly six in ten people told PRRI they support a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants — a rate that has remained about the same since 2013, when the Senate approved a comprehensive immigration reform bill that would have included this policy.

Reality:

Stereotypes about immigrants from Middle Eastern or Latin American countries being more dangerous aren’t rooted in reality. Immigrants are no more likely to commit crimes than members of the general U.S. population. And refugees resettled in the United States do not have a history of plotting terrorist acts; in fact, they go through a rigorous security screening — a much more stringent vetting process than many of the people who work in politics.

Although there may be some violent criminal immigrants who enter the country to do harm, a 2013 Human Rights Watch study found that people illegally entered or reentered the country mostly to seek work, to reunite with family members, or to flee violence or sometimes persecution abroad.

 

[Saucycarpdog]

I need to sit down, this is shocking news.

 

[Matsukaze]

The poll, which looks at Americans’ views on immigrants from various countries, found that white Americans tend to have negative opinions about immigrants from non-European countries. They’re least positive about immigrants from the Middle East, and also hold negative views about immigrants from Latin America and Africa. At the same time, however, white Americans have a much more positive view of European immigrants and Asian immigrants.

Gee, I never would have guessed.

 

[Tagyhag]

Oh my God at African immigrants being on the negative. That's freaking hilarious. They probably have never even met someone that immigrated from Africa and just consider every black person an African immigrant rather than an American.

 

[PeakPointMatrix]

 

[Lime]

The really concerning data is the extreme dislike of people from the Middle East.

 

[Switzer]

Holy shit why is America so racist.

 

[Forerunner]

Americans are ignorant and fueled by fear and hate. Who would have guessed!

 

[MetroidPrimeRib]

Who could have ever seen this result coming?

 

[Nothing1016]

Holy shit why is America so racist.

A lot of countries are racist. We are just unapologetically open about it especially with Trump being a nominee. It's unfortunate.

 

[Redd]

Oh and waters wet. Racists gonna racist. That's why it's annoying when defenders claim it's not about that.

 

[Garou Densetsu Official]

Not surprising in the slightest.

 

[Skiptastic]

The really concerning data is the extreme dislike of people from the Middle East.

Well, we just wrapped up fighting a war with one country there and have been dealing with an organization rooted there that seems pretty awful. It's a pretty expectable outcome.

 

[Slayven]

Alert the media,

 

[cdyhybrid]

National security is just code for racism/xenophobia.