Old Minorities, New Immigrants: Aspirations, Hopes, and Fears

Contrary to the image attributed to American society—that it loves and welcomes immigrants—public opinion polls over the past 50-plus years show that the current cohort of immigrants, whoever they may be, is viewed with suspicion and distrust. Most Americans, even those of relatively recent immigrant origins, do not favor allowing more immigrants to enter, and a large plurality favor admitting fewer than the law permits. Historical analysis of the print media, political party platforms, and the Quota Acts beginning in the 1920s also reveals the United States' ambivalence about immigrants seeking admission at any time since the 1880s. In retrospect, those who came earlier are viewed as making important and positive contributions to our society and culture, but those who seek entry now, whenever “now” happens to be, are viewed, at best, with ambivalence and, more likely, with distrust and hostility.