Immigration in the Court of Public Opinion (Immigration and Society)

What does a nation of immigrants think and feel about immigration? Recent accounts of immigration policy routinely cast Americans as divided into two warring camps – one fueled by threat to livelihoods and way of life, the other by a fervent cosmopolitanism that sees the nation-state as passé.

This counter-intuitive book shows that these accounts miss the mark. First, almost all Americans hold a mix of ""pro-"" and ""anti-immigrant"" opinions. Their views are pragmatic and flexible rather than dead-set. Second, opinions about immigration are more powerfully influenced by liberal values and concerns about the well-being of American society as a whole than by identity politics. Third, the assimilation Americans demand from immigrants matches patterns of integration that Hispanic and Asian immigrants overwhelmingly follow. Finally, American attitudes toward immigrants are ""exceptional"" for their openness and respect for cultural pluralism.

In Citrin, Levy, and Wright's view, long-elusive comprehensive immigration reform can win in the court of public opinion – but only if leaders heed their constituents rather than the polarized activists who claim to speak on their behalf. This expert analysis rethinks the role of public opinion in immigration matters: its insights will be welcomed by all interested in immigration debates and public policy.

Reviews

“Immigration in the Court of Public Opinion is that rare book that clears away the rhetorical fog obscuring the public’s views on a hotly contested issue. With lucid data analysis and compelling logic, the book shows brilliantly that the polarization over immigration in the political elite is not matched in the opinions of the great mass of Americans, who cluster around a middle ground solidly anchored in core American values. The book is a paragon of the clarity of reasoning and evidence that good social science can bring to the public square.”
Richard Alba, Graduate Center, CUNY

“Immigration in the Court of Public Opinion is a timely reassessment of Americans' attitudes about immigration policy, immigrants themselves, and their effects on many aspects of American society. Citrin and his collaborators provide us with the most accessible, sophisticated, current, and analytically informed data available. It will immediately become the standard reference in the field, informing social scientists, policymakers, media commentators, and private citizens and illuminating countless public debates on one of the most important issues of our time. I have already used it in my own work on immigration policy.”
Peter H. Schuck, Yale and NYU Law Schools

“Looking beyond the loud certainties of immigration policy debates, this book explores an alternate reality. With a deep analysis of extensive survey findings, Citrin, Levy, and Wright offer an authoritative account of public opinion on immigration across many dimensions. Most Americans, they find, express nuance, conflict, and uncertainty even as they embrace pluralism and generosity. An excellent distillation.”
Roberto Suro, University of Southern California