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Understanding Latinos' Attitudes toward U.S. Immigration
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likely to support the permanent status plan instead of the temporary status plan touted by the Bush administration. Modeling General Support for Immigration
Thus far we have explored the determinants of separate items from the Pew Hispanic Survey
that relate to immigration. But do these separate items coalesce to form a single dimension of attitudes toward immigration? If so, how well does our general model do in predicting Hispanics’ general support for immigration?
In order to consider the possibility of a single dimension of support for immigration, we conduct
a principal components factor analysis on the four immigration items that have served as the dependent variables in Tables 3-5. Interestingly, a major dimension emerges from this factor analysis, but the variable representing support for George Bush’s temporary worker program does not fit cleanly with the other three variables. In one sense, this is not terribly surprising, particularly given how the coefficients for the Bush temporary worker model do not match the coefficients for the other models. Given this, we drop the Bush plan variable from the factor analysis and reestimated the principal components analysis with the three remaining variables; the results for this factor analysis are found in Table 6. As one can see, a single factor emerges with an eigenvalue of 1.654 and 55% of the variance explained. All three variables have similar factor loadings and scoring coefficients, and based on these results one can create a standardized factor score, which we denote the pro-immigration scale. The distribution of observations on this scale is summarized in Figure 1. Clearly, the scale is skewed heavily to the left, with a vast majority of Hispanic respondents taking a pro-immigration position.
What variables influence attitudes towards immigration in general? In Table 7 we report OLS
estimates for a model with the general pro-immigration scale serving as the dependent variable. When examining the effects of the five sets of independent variables, it appears that variables representing symbolic politics attitudes, Hispanic and language identity, self-interest and demographic attributes have significant effects on general attitudes towards immigration.
Turning first to the symbolic politics attitudes, our findings are similar to those observed in our
other models. Support for expanded government has a positive effect on pro-immigration attitudes; as support for expanded government increases, support for immigration overall also increases (b = 0.134; t = 2.56). On the other hand, high expectations that immigrants must meet strict responsibilities to be part of American society decrease general support for immigration significantly (b = -0.158; t = -6.36). Other variables, in particular those representing partisan categories, have no discernible effects on general pro-immigrant attitudes.
As is the case for most of the other models in this study, the Hispanic and language identity
category plays a highly significant role in influencing Latinos’ attitudes towards immigration. We find that being born in the United States has a strong negative effect on general support for immigration (b= -0.451, t = -5.07). By implication, Latinos born outside of the U.S. are significantly more favorably oriented toward immigration. We find that having foreign-born parents increases Latinos support for immigration (b = 0.157, t =- 3.33). Language is also important. Hispanics who primarily speak Spanish (b = 0.331, t = 3.46) or who are bilingual (b = 0.140, t = 1.90) are more likely to be favorably disposed toward immigration, as are individuals who consider it important for future generations of Latinos to speak Spanish (b = 0. 193, t = 5.63). Also, those who perceive discrimination against Hispanics to be a problem are more pro-immigration in their attitudes (b = 0.087, t = 2.48). Clearly, variables that reflect the degree to which individuals are immersed in and are favorable toward Latino culture and the Spanish language have positive effects on pro-immigration attitudes.
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| | Authors: Garand, James., Rouse, Stella. and Wilkinson, Betina. |
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likely to support the permanent status plan instead of the temporary status plan touted by the Bush
administration.
Modeling General Support for Immigration
Thus far we have explored the determinants of separate items from the Pew Hispanic Survey
that relate to immigration. But do these separate items coalesce to form a single dimension of
attitudes toward immigration? If so, how well does our general model do in predicting Hispanics’
general support for immigration?
In order to consider the possibility of a single dimension of support for immigration, we conduct
a principal components factor analysis on the four immigration items that have served as the
dependent variables in Tables 3-5. Interestingly, a major dimension emerges from this factor analysis,
but the variable representing support for George Bush’s temporary worker program does not fit
cleanly with the other three variables. In one sense, this is not terribly surprising, particularly given
how the coefficients for the Bush temporary worker model do not match the coefficients for the
other models. Given this, we drop the Bush plan variable from the factor analysis and reestimated
the principal components analysis with the three remaining variables; the results for this factor
analysis are found in Table 6. As one can see, a single factor emerges with an eigenvalue of 1.654 and
55% of the variance explained. All three variables have similar factor loadings and scoring
coefficients, and based on these results one can create a standardized factor score, which we denote
the pro-immigration scale. The distribution of observations on this scale is summarized in Figure 1.
Clearly, the scale is skewed heavily to the left, with a vast majority of Hispanic respondents taking a
pro-immigration position.
What variables influence attitudes towards immigration in general? In Table 7 we report OLS
estimates for a model with the general pro-immigration scale serving as the dependent variable.
When examining the effects of the five sets of independent variables, it appears that variables
representing symbolic politics attitudes, Hispanic and language identity, self-interest and
demographic attributes have significant effects on general attitudes towards immigration.
Turning first to the symbolic politics attitudes, our findings are similar to those observed in our
other models. Support for expanded government has a positive effect on pro-immigration attitudes;
as support for expanded government increases, support for immigration overall also increases (b =
0.134; t = 2.56). On the other hand, high expectations that immigrants must meet strict
responsibilities to be part of American society decrease general support for immigration significantly
(b = -0.158; t = -6.36). Other variables, in particular those representing partisan categories, have no
discernible effects on general pro-immigrant attitudes.
As is the case for most of the other models in this study, the Hispanic and language identity
category plays a highly significant role in influencing Latinos’ attitudes towards immigration. We find
that being born in the United States has a strong negative effect on general support for immigration
(b= -0.451, t = -5.07). By implication, Latinos born outside of the U.S. are significantly more
favorably oriented toward immigration. We find that having foreign-born parents increases Latinos
support for immigration (b = 0.157, t =- 3.33). Language is also important. Hispanics who primarily
speak Spanish (b = 0.331, t = 3.46) or who are bilingual (b = 0.140, t = 1.90) are more likely to be
favorably disposed toward immigration, as are individuals who consider it important for future
generations of Latinos to speak Spanish (b = 0. 193, t = 5.63). Also, those who perceive
discrimination against Hispanics to be a problem are more pro-immigration in their attitudes (b =
0.087, t = 2.48). Clearly, variables that reflect the degree to which individuals are immersed in and are
favorable toward Latino culture and the Spanish language have positive effects on pro-immigration
attitudes.
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