Changing In-Group Boundaries: The Effect of Immigration on Race Relations in the United States

How do social group boundaries evolve? Does the appearance of a new out-group change the in-group’s perceptions of other out-groups? We introduce a conceptual framework of context-dependent categorization in which exposure to one minority leads to recategorization of other minorities as in- or out-groups depending on perceived distances across groups. We test this framework by studying how Mexican immigration to the United States affected white Americans’ attitudes and behaviors toward Black Americans. We combine survey and crime data with a difference-in-differences design and an instrumental variables strategy. Consistent with the theory, Mexican immigration improves whites’ racial attitudes, increases support for pro-Black government policies, and lowers anti-Black hate crimes while simultaneously increasing prejudice against Hispanics. Results generalize beyond Hispanics and Blacks, and a survey experiment provides direct evidence for recategorization. Our findings imply that changes in the size of one group can affect the entire web of intergroup relations in diverse societies.

The U.S. Latino Voters and the Immigration Overhaul: Case Study of Current Mexican Immigration to the U.S.

This article deploys descriptive case study to explore Mexican immigration to the US in the first 100 days of Joe Biden’s presidency. Firstly, the expanding voting size of Latino/Mexican community in the US is being recognised, and consequently, its influence on shaping immigration laws. Secondly, the immigration documents are being analysed to study their implications for Mexican immigration. In some cases, the contrast between Trump’s and Biden’s immigration circumstances are being highlighted. Even though immigration changes have been introduced formally, most of their practical applications are yet to be seen.

“We’re just all human, ya know?”: Comparing the Rhetoric of President Donald Trump With the Immigration Stories of Mexican Immigrants

Immigration has been part of American society for as long as America has been established. Because of the differing opinions and attitudes of immigration, the question arises: how does the rhetoric used in the immigration stories of Mexican immigrants living in the central Indianapolis area reflect rhetoric used under the Trump administration regarding Mexican immigration and the characterization of Mexican immigrants? A mixed-method study consisting of qualitative interviews and content analysis was conducted in order to answer this question. Interviews from Mexican immigrants were analyzed, as well as four 2018 rally speeches by President Donald Trump. The analyses were compared, and it was found that the rhetoric used highly differed in the interviews and speeches, with President Trump’s rhetoric being more negative and the immigrants’ rhetoric being more positive.