The Grass Really is Greener on the Other Side: Immigration and Changes in Expressed Sentiments Online

Immigration produces diverse outcomes, with some immigrants finding happiness in an improved quality of life, while others face emotional distress from unexpected challenges. Studying these emotional experiences is challenging due to limited longitudinal data. To address this, we curated high-quality data and analyzed Twitter activities of immigrants in the United States to explore how their expressed sentiments evolve post-migration, comparing them to non-immigrants and US locals in a quasi-causal sense. Our findings revealed that migration generally boosts positive sentiments among immigrants, even when discussing the same topics, and that this effect lasts up to one-year post-migration. However, there is no conclusive evidence that migration significantly impacts negative sentiments. These patterns indicate that the migration event is associated with an expansion of positive expressed sentiments among immigrants, rather than a reduction in negative ones, suggesting a reorientation of emotional expression that reflects adaptation or opportunity recognition following migration. Additionally, age and gender play a key role, with younger population and females more likely to express positive sentiments post-migration, while linguistic ties also help foster increased positivity. These insights advance our understanding of immigrants’ emotional adaptation and highlight key demographic and social factors that shape their post-migration experiences.