Unfamiliar Others: Contact with Unassimilated Immigrants and Public Support for Restrictive Immigration Policy

The belief that immigrants threaten the American culture is a paramount source of opposition to immigration in the U.S. Known as cultural threat, this trepidation is largely conceptualized in the opinion research as symbolic in nature and stemming from concern over the maintenance of national identity. A problematic feature of this conceptualization is that it neglects contact as a potential realistic aspect of the cultural threat of immigration. In response, this article develops a realistic theory of cultural threat that emphasizes personal encounters with unassimilated immigrants. Relying on national survey data, this article demonstrates that contact with non-English-speaking immigrants, as well as the negative emotions it engenders, heightens perceived threat to American culture and support for restrictive immigration policies.