Multilingual Poll of Legal Immigrants On U.S. Immigration Policy
Civilrights.org, DC Prepared by Bendixen and Associates for New American Media in partnership with LCCR Education Fund and Center for American Progress
Executive Summary
Methodology
Bendixen & Associates interviewed 800 legal immigrants by telephone between February 24 and March 21, 2006. The sample was designed to be representative of the 26 million legal immigrants that reside in the United States according to the U.S. Census. Approximately three-fifths of the legal immigrants interviewed for the poll are citizens of the United States and about three-fourths of them (citizens) are registered voters.
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Major Findings
- The immigrant community in the United States is alarmed regarding the tone and substance of the current political debate on immigration policy. Majorities of legal immigrants from Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe feel that “the anti-immigrant sentiment is growing in the United States.” This opinion is most strongly felt by younger legal immigrants, those 18 to 39 years of age. A majority of legal immigrants - about 14 million Americans - report that this “anti-immigrant sentiment” has affected their families. Public opinion studies in California in 1993-94 revealed a similar situation. Second-generation ethnics and foreign-born citizens and legal residents were negatively impacted by the anti-immigrant messages communicated through the mass media by the supporters of Proposition 187. There were a number of California studies in the 90’s that indicated an increase in discrimination, racism and disrespectful treatment of ethnics in general and of Latinos in particular. Our poll also reveals that a majority of legal immigrants thinks that this “anti-immigrant sentiment” is being fueled by racism against immigrants from Latin America and Asia and that the debate about immigration policy has been “unfair and based on misinformation.” [more]