Home Nationalism in the ‘Nation of Immigrants’: Race, Ethnicity, and National Attachment
Article
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

Nationalism in the ‘Nation of Immigrants’: Race, Ethnicity, and National Attachment

  • Joe R. Tafoya , Álvaro J. Corral and David L. Leal EMAIL logo
Published/Copyright: June 22, 2022
Become an author with De Gruyter Brill
Author Information Explore this Subject
The Forum
From the journal The Forum Volume 20 Issue 1

Abstract

This paper compares nationalist attitudes among Whites, Latinos, and African Americans. The research on nationalism and national attachment draws varied conclusions about how race and ethnicity structure such attitudes; some find that Whites have the strongest views, while others see more similarities than differences. Using the General Social Survey of 2014, we examine three separate dimensions of nationalism: American nationalism, American national identity, and American national pride. We test for differences across race and ethnicity as well as how such attitudes structure opinions about immigrants. Despite some expectations in the literature that views might vary by group, we generally find (albeit with some complexities) “minimal effects” of race and ethnicity. Latinos, Blacks, and Whites agree with the three nationalism measures at similar levels, despite the very different national histories of each group. This is consistent with work finding “a great deal of consensus on the norms, values, and behaviors that constitute American identity” (Schildkraut 2007. “Defining American Identity in the Twenty-First Century: How Much “There” Is There?”.” The Journal of Politics v69 (3): 597–615, 605). In addition, while nationalism is associated with immigration opinions, such effects are predominantly among Whites and African Americans and relatively weak for Latinos.

Keywords: nationalism; race and ethnicity; public opinion; identity; immigration attitudes
Corresponding author: David L. Leal, Department of Government, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA, E-mail:
Appendix

Table 7:

Predictors of national attachments moderated by race/ethnicity, linear regression estimates.

Nationalism National Identity National Pride
Black −0.249 (0.375) −0.043 (0.365) 0.048 (0.223)
Latino 0.149 (0.336) 0.328 (0.354) 0.254 (0.205)
Age 0.009d (0.002) 0.010d (0.002) 0.006d (0.001)
Black # age 0.005 (0.004) 0.003 (0.004) −0.000 (0.002)
Latino # age −0.004 (0.004) −0.006a (0.004) −0.005 (0.003)
Family income −0.000 (0.006) −0.020c (0.007) 0.001 (0.005)
Black # family income −0.019 (0.019) −0.004 (0.028) −0.031b (0.013)
Latino # family income −0.001 (0.029) −0.046a (0.025) −0.008 (0.015)
Education −0.110d (0.021) −0.157d (0.022) −0.000 (0.013)
Black # education 0.082 (0.055) 0.067 (0.082) 0.045 (0.042)
Latino # education 0.085 (0.056) 0.172 b (0.065) 0.077 b (0.036)
Female −0.064 (0.052) 0.083a (0.047) −0.070b (0.034)
Black # female −0.051 (0.135) −0.110 (0.136) −0.055 (0.097)
Latino # female −0.112 (0.121) −0.018 (0.111) −0.044 (0.090)
Partisan ID 0.025 (0.018) 0.006 (0.018) 0.012 (0.012)
Black # Partisan ID −0.019 (0.045) 0.005 (0.051) 0.031 (0.029)
Latino # Partisan ID −0.028 (0.049) −0.029 (0.047) −0.026 (0.026)
Ideology 0.078c (0.026) 0.109d (0.024) 0.042b (0.019)
Black # ideology 0.003 (0.056) −0.041 (0.050) −0.027 (0.034)
Latino # ideology −0.030 (0.064) −0.044 (0.054) −0.016 (0.036)
Catholic 0.099 (0.066) 0.002 (0.075) 0.105c (0.039)
Black # Catholic −0.065 (0.154) 0.097 (0.143) 0.049 (0.144)
Latino # Catholic 0.012 (0.139) 0.250 (0.164) −0.080 (0.099)
Service attendance 0.022b (0.010) −0.002 (0.010) 0.003 (0.007)
    Black # service attendance −0.013 (0.023) 0.040 (0.028) 0.014 (0.017)
Latino # service attendance 0.004 (0.024) 0.017 (0.024) −0.000 (0.018)
Constant 3.106d (0.151) 2.503d (0.142) 2.594d (0.105)
F-statistics 7.58d 13.71d 4.95d
Observations 1219 1219 1219

  1. 2014 General Social Survey. OLS coefficients presented, standard errors in parentheses. a p < 0.10, b p < 0.05, c p < 0.01, d p < 0.001.

Table 8:

Measures of immigrant attitudes, overall and by race/ethnicity.

Question Text Sample White Black Latino

  1. Immigrants take jobs away from people who were born in America: (1) Agree Str. – (3) Neither – (5) Disagree Str.

3.07 2.95 2.76 3.63

  1. Immigrants are generally good for America’s economy: (1) Disagree Str. – (3) Neither – (5) Agree Str.

3.42 3.29 3.26 3.88

  1. Immigrants make America more open to new ideas and cultures: (1) Disagree Str. – (3) Neither – (5) Agree Str.

3.63 3.55 3.45 3.92

  1. Immigrants increase crime: (1) Agree Str. – (3) Neither – (5) Disagree Str.

3.40 3.31 3.50 3.61

  1. Immigrants undermine American culture: (1) Agree Str. – (3) Neither – (5) Disagree Str.

3.44 3.44 3.20 3.56
Index mean 3.39 3.30 3.23 3.72
Cronbach’s α 0.77 0.80 0.69 0.66
Observations 1274 827 182 217

  1. Table entries are weighted sample means of observations from the 2014 General Social Survey. Missing data filled with multiple imputation procedure Amelia II. Subgroup entries are derived by Taylor Series estimation using STATA’s “svy” procedure for survey data.

Table 9:

Predictors of supportive immigration attitudes, linear regression estimates.

Aggregate White Black Latino
Black 0.021(0.072) – – –
Latino 0.489d(0.061) – – –
Nationalism −0.137d(0.034) −0.150c(0.044) −0.187b(0.085) −0.033(0.068)
National identity −0.242d(0.027) −0.301d (0.038) −0.169b(0.072) −0.164b(0.065)
National pride 0.276d (0.054) 0.327d (0.065) 0.541d (0.123) 0.024(0.099)
Age 0.001(0.001) 0.001(0.002) 0.002(0.003) 0.003(0.003)
Family income 0.002(0.007) 0.006(0.009) 0.017(0.019) −0.020(0.012)
Education 0.093d (0.023) 0.100d (0.025) 0.065(0.053) 0.064(0.049)
Female −0.017(0.042) −0.019(0.051) 0.047(0.098) −0.093(0.097)
Partisan ID −0.018(0.013) −0.024(0.017) 0.041(0.034) 0.013(0.036)
Ideology −0.039a(0.023) −0.036(0.032) −0.045(0.040) −0.015(0.048)
Catholic 0.09a(0.057) 0.029(0.053) −0.316b(0.151) 0.268c(0.097)
Service attendance 0.004(0.009) −0.011(0.011) 0.033(0.021) 0.033a(0.018)
Constant 3.531d(0.163) 3.634d(0.195) 2.371d(0.448) 3.923d(0.302)
F-statistics 35.12d 30.28d 8.20d 2.11b
Observations 1219 813 162 244

  1. 2014 General Social Survey. OLS coefficients presented, standard errors in parentheses. a p < 0.10, b p < 0.05, c p < 0.01, d p < 0.001.

References

Brown, R. A., and T. C. Shaw. 2002. “Separate Nations: Two Attitudinal Dimensions of Black Nationalism.” The Journal of Politics v64 (1): 22–44, https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2508.00116.Search in Google Scholar

Byrne, J., and G. C. Dixon. 2016. “Just Not like Us: The Interactive Impact of Dimensions of Identity and Race in Attitudes towards Immigration.” Social Sciences v5 (4): 59, https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci5040059.Search in Google Scholar

Carter, N. M. 2019. American while Black: African Americans, Immigration, and the Limits of Citizenship. New York: Oxford University Press.10.1093/oso/9780190053550.001.0001Search in Google Scholar

Carter, N. M., and E. O. Pérez. 2016. “Race and Nation: How Racial Hierarchy Shapes National Attachments.” Political Psychology v37 (4): 497–513, https://doi.org/10.1111/pops.12270.Search in Google Scholar

Ceobanu, A. M., and X. Escandell. 2008. “East Is West? National Feelings and Anti-immigrant Sentiment in Europe.” Social Science Research v37 (4): 1147–70, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2008.01.002.Search in Google Scholar

Citrin, J., C. Wong, and B. Duff. 2001. “The Meaning of American National Identity.” In Social Identity, Intergroup Conflict, and Conflict Resolution, edited by Ashmore, R., Jussim, L. and Wilder, D., 71–100. New York: Oxford University Press.10.1093/oso/9780195137422.003.0004Search in Google Scholar

Conover, P. J., and S. Feldman. 1987. Memo to NES Board of Overseers Regarding ‘Measuring Patriotism and Nationalism’. Ann Arbor: Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social Research.Search in Google Scholar

Dawson, M. C. 2003. Black Visions: The Roots of Contemporary African-American Political Ideologies. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Search in Google Scholar

de Figueiredo, R. J. P., and Z. Elkins. 2003. “Are Patriots Bigots? an Inquiry into the Vices of In-Group Pride.” American Journal of Political Science v47 (1): 171–88, https://doi.org/10.1111/1540-5907.00012.Search in Google Scholar

de la Garza, R. O., A. Falcon, and F. C. Garcia. 1996. “Will the Real Americans Please Stand up: Anglo and Mexican-American Support of Core American Political Values.” American Journal of Political Science v40 (2): 335–51, https://doi.org/10.2307/2111627.Search in Google Scholar

Greene, S., G. Gray, N. M. Carter, and R. Block. 2020. “Americanness and the “Other” Americans: An Examination of the American Identity and Political Behavior of Racial and Ethnic Minorities in the United States.” National Review of Black Politics v1 (3): 396–429, https://doi.org/10.1525/nrbp.2020.1.3.396.Search in Google Scholar

Hjerm, M. 1998. “National Identities, National Pride and Xenophobia: A Comparison of Four Western Countries.” Acta Sociologica 41 (4): 335–47, https://doi.org/10.1080/00016999850080005.Search in Google Scholar

Hooker, J. 2016. “Black Lives Matter and the Paradoxes of US Black Politics: From Democratic Sacrifice to Democratic Repair.” Political Theory v44 (4): 448–69, https://doi.org/10.1177/0090591716640314.Search in Google Scholar

Huddy, L., and N. Khatib. 2007. “American Patriotism, National Identity, and Political Involvement.” American Journal of Political Science v51 (1): 63–77, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5907.2007.00237.x.Search in Google Scholar

Huddy, L., and A. del Ponte. 2021. “The Rise of Populism in the USA: Nationalism, Race, and American Party Politics.” In The Psychology of Populism, edited by Forgas, J. P., Crano, W. and Fiedler, K. Oxon: Routledge.10.4324/9781003057680-17Search in Google Scholar

Huntington, S. P. 2004. “The Hispanic Challenge.” Foreign Policy 141 (March/April): 30–45.10.2307/4147547Search in Google Scholar

Jeong, H. O. 2013. “Do National Feelings Influence Public Attitudes towards Immigration?” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies v39 (9): 1461–77, https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183x.2013.815428.Search in Google Scholar

Knudsen, K. 1997. “Scandinavian Neighbours with Different Character? Attitudes toward Immigrants and National Identity in Norway and Sweden.” Acta Sociologica v40 (3): 223–43, https://doi.org/10.1177/000169939704000301.Search in Google Scholar

Kosterman, R., and S. Feshbach. 1989. “Toward a Measure of Patriotic and Nationalistic Attitudes.” Political Psychology v10 (2): 257–74, https://doi.org/10.2307/3791647.Search in Google Scholar

Kunovich, R. M. 2009. “The Sources and Consequences of National Identification.” American Sociological Review v74 (4): 573–93, https://doi.org/10.1177/000312240907400404.Search in Google Scholar

Masuoka, N., and J. Junn. 2013. The Politics of Belonging: Race, Public Opinion, and Immigration. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.10.7208/chicago/9780226057330.001.0001Search in Google Scholar

Michelson, M. R. 2003. “The Corrosive Effect of Acculturation: How Mexican Americans Lose Political Trust.” Social Science Quarterly v84 (4): 918–33, https://doi.org/10.1046/j.0038-4941.2003.08404017.x.Search in Google Scholar

Pew Research Center. 2009. Latino Children: A Majority Are U.S.-Born Offspring of Immigrants. Also available at: https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/2009/05/28/latino-children-a-majority-are-us-born-offspring-of-immigrants/.Search in Google Scholar

Pew Research Center. 2021. Key Facts about U.S. Latinos for National Hispanic Heritage Month. Also available at: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/09/09/key-facts-about-u-s-latinos-for-national-hispanic-heritage-month/.Search in Google Scholar

Schatz, R. T., and E. Staub. 1997. “Manifestations of Blind and Constructive Patriotism: Personality Correlates and Individual-Group Relations.” In Patriotism: In the Lives of Individuals and Nations, edited by Bar-Tal, D. and Staub, E., 229–47. Chicago: Nelson-Hall Publishers.Search in Google Scholar

Schatz, R. T., E. Staub, and H. Lavine. 1999. “On the Varieties of National Attachment: Blind versus Constructive Patriotism.” Political Psychology v20 (1): 151–74, https://doi.org/10.1111/0162-895x.00140.Search in Google Scholar

Schildkraut, D. J. 2007. “Defining American Identity in the Twenty-First Century: How Much “There” Is There?” The Journal of Politics v69 (3): 597–615, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2508.2007.00562.x.Search in Google Scholar

Schildkraut, D. J. 2014. “Boundaries of American Identity: Evolving Understandings of “Us”.” Annual Review of Political Science v17: 441–60, https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-polisci-080812-144642.Search in Google Scholar

Shelton, J. E. 2010. “E Pluribus Unum? How Racial, Ethnic, and Religious Group Memberships Impact Beliefs about American National Identity.” Nationalism and Ethnic Politics v16 (1): 67–91.10.1080/13537110903583344Search in Google Scholar

Sidanius, J., S. Feshbach, S. Levin, and F. Pratto. 1997. “The Interface between Ethnic and National Attachment: Ethnic Pluralism or Ethnic Dominance?” Public Opinion Quarterly v61 (1): 102–33, https://doi.org/10.1086/297789.Search in Google Scholar

Tajfel, H. 1981. Human Groups and Social Categories. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Search in Google Scholar

Tajfel, H., and J. C. Turner. 1986. “The Social Identity Theory of Intergroup Behavior.” In Psychology of Intergroup Relations. 7–24, edited by Worchel, S. and Austin, W. G. Chicago: Nelson-Hall.Search in Google Scholar

Turner, J. C. 1982. “Towards a Cognitive Redefinition of the Social Group.” In Social Identity and Intergroup Relations, edited by Tajfel, H., 15–40. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Search in Google Scholar
Published Online: 2022-06-22

© 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Introduction
  3. Introduction: Volume 20 Issue 1: Public Opinion in America
  4. Articles
  5. Explanations for Inequality and Partisan Polarization in the U.S., 1980–2020
  6. Collective Narcissism and Perceptions of the (Il)legitimacy of the 2020 US Election
  7. Two Sides of the Same Coin? Race, Racial Resentment, and Public Opinion Toward Financial Compensation of College Athletes
  8. Public Perceptions of the Supreme Court: How Policy Disagreement Affects Legitimacy
  9. Do Elite Appeals to Negative Partisanship Stimulate Citizen Engagement?
  10. Who Are Leaners? How True Independents Differ from the Weakest Partisans and Why It Matters
  11. Nationalism in the ‘Nation of Immigrants’: Race, Ethnicity, and National Attachment
  12. The Social Foundations of Public Support for Political Compromise
  13. Books Reviews
  14. Meghan Condon, and Amber Wichowsky: The Economic Other: Inequality in the American Political Imagination
  15. Daniel W. Drezner: The Toddler-in-Chief: What Donald J. Trump Teaches Us About the Modern Presidency
https://doi.org/10.1515/for-2022-2047
Keywords for this article
nationalism; race and ethnicity; public opinion; identity; immigration attitudes

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Introduction
  3. Introduction: Volume 20 Issue 1: Public Opinion in America
  4. Articles
  5. Explanations for Inequality and Partisan Polarization in the U.S., 1980–2020
  6. Collective Narcissism and Perceptions of the (Il)legitimacy of the 2020 US Election
  7. Two Sides of the Same Coin? Race, Racial Resentment, and Public Opinion Toward Financial Compensation of College Athletes
  8. Public Perceptions of the Supreme Court: How Policy Disagreement Affects Legitimacy
  9. Do Elite Appeals to Negative Partisanship Stimulate Citizen Engagement?
  10. Who Are Leaners? How True Independents Differ from the Weakest Partisans and Why It Matters
  11. Nationalism in the ‘Nation of Immigrants’: Race, Ethnicity, and National Attachment
  12. The Social Foundations of Public Support for Political Compromise
  13. Books Reviews
  14. Meghan Condon, and Amber Wichowsky: The Economic Other: Inequality in the American Political Imagination
  15. Daniel W. Drezner: The Toddler-in-Chief: What Donald J. Trump Teaches Us About the Modern Presidency
Sign up now to receive a 20% welcome discount
Institutional Access
How does access work?
Have an idea on how to improve our website?
Please write us.
© 2025 De Gruyter Brill
Downloaded on 28.9.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/for-2022-2047/html?lang=en
Scroll to top button