Immigration and Nationalistic Attitudes: Panel Evidence from Chile

Does rapid and large-scale migration fuel nationalism? Using administrative and panel survey data from Chile, we show that sudden, large-scale migration inflows increase identity-based nationalistic attitudes, such as national pride, among native-born citizens. These “immigration shocks” appear to activate per- ceptions of identity threat, leading to stronger expressions of national pride and belonging. Supplementary evidence—from surveys, media reports, social media, and crime records—suggests that this nationalism is predominantly exclusion- ary: areas most affected by migration also experienced spikes in anti-migrant rhetoric, hate crimes, and support for a newly formed far-right party. These findings underscore how rapid demographic change can reshape political atti- tudes and contribute to the rise of exclusionary forms of national identity.