Americans preferred Syrian refugees who are female, English-speaking, and Christian on the eve of Donald Trump’s election

Abstract

What types of refugees do Americans prefer for admission into the United States? Scholars have explored the immigrant characteristics that appeal to Americans and the characteristics that Europeans prioritize in asylum-seekers, but we currently do not know which refugee characteristics Americans prefer. We conduct a conjoint experiment on a representative sample of 1800 US adults, manipulating refugee attributes in pairs of Syrian refugee profiles, and ask respondents to rate each refugee’s appeal. Our focus on Syrian refugees in a 2016 survey experiment allows us to speak to the concurrent refugee crisis on the eve of a polarizing election, while also identifying religious discrimination, holding constant the refugee’s national origin. We find that Americans prefer Syrian refugees who are female, high-skilled, English-speaking, and Christian, suggesting they prioritize refugee integration into the U.S. labor and cultural markets. We find that the preference for female refugees is not driven by the desire to exclude Muslim male refugees, casting doubt that American preferences at the time were motivated by security concerns. Finally, we find that anti-Muslim bias in refugee preferences varies in magnitude across key subgroups, though it prevails across all sample demographics.

Attitudes Toward Migrants in a Highly Impacted Economy: Evidence From the Syrian Refugee Crisis in Jordan

“…A sizable and fast-growing literature has begun to leverage surveys and natural experiments to examine when migration leads to conflict, and what factors shape natives' attitudes toward migrants. While migration may be forced (i.e., refugees and asylum seekers) or voluntary (i.e., economic immigrants), this research indicates that attitudes toward these groups are highly correlated and share similar foundations (Adida et al, 2019;Bansak et al, 2016;Hangartner et al, 2019). Earlier studies in this field stressed the importance of individual-level economic self-interest and labor market competition in shaping antimigrant sentiment (Mayda, 2006;Scheve & Slaughter, 2001), and some have argued that natives in areas and industries with particularly high levels of migration may be more concerned about individual-level labor market competition than natives who are not (Dancygier & Donnelly, 2013;Malhotra et al, 2013).…”

“…Earlier studies in this field stressed the importance of individual-level economic self-interest and labor market competition in shaping antimigrant sentiment (Mayda, 2006; Scheve & Slaughter, 2001), and some have argued that natives in areas and industries with particularly high levels of migration may be more concerned about individual-level labor market competition than natives who are not (Dancygier & Donnelly, 2013; Malhotra et al, 2013). More recently, however, an emerging consensus has developed that sociotropic concerns related to the economic impact of migrants on host communities (Adida et al, 2019; Bansak et al, 2016; Hainmueller & Hiscox, 2010; Hainmueller & Hopkins, 2014, 2015; Valentino et al, 2019) and cultural and religious (i.e., anti-Muslim) concerns about how migration changes local customs and traditions (Adida et al, 2019; Bansak et al, 2016; Hainmueller & Hopkins, 2014; Hopkins, 2010) are the main drivers of opposition to migration in Europe and the United States. Recent studies suggest that humanitarian considerations may also influence attitudes toward refugees specifically, though sociotropic and cultural factors remain the key drivers of attitudes toward these groups (Adida et al, 2019; Bansak et al, 2016).…”

“…More recently, however, an emerging consensus has developed that sociotropic concerns related to the economic impact of migrants on host communities (Adida et al, 2019; Bansak et al, 2016; Hainmueller & Hiscox, 2010; Hainmueller & Hopkins, 2014, 2015; Valentino et al, 2019) and cultural and religious (i.e., anti-Muslim) concerns about how migration changes local customs and traditions (Adida et al, 2019; Bansak et al, 2016; Hainmueller & Hopkins, 2014; Hopkins, 2010) are the main drivers of opposition to migration in Europe and the United States. Recent studies suggest that humanitarian considerations may also influence attitudes toward refugees specifically, though sociotropic and cultural factors remain the key drivers of attitudes toward these groups (Adida et al, 2019; Bansak et al, 2016).…”

Local elected officials’ receptivity to refugee resettlement in the United States

“…Beginning with economic and material considerations, we expect local elected officials to favor refugee groups that can participate in and contribute to the local economy (see, e.g., refs. 20 – 22 , for related findings). † Local officials are particularly attuned to budgetary issues and economic constraints in their districts.…”

“…Whether because of in-group favoritism or out-group animus, existing scholarship reports that members of the public favor migrants with attributes associated with sociocultural proximity (see, e.g., refs. 20 – 22 , 25 , and 26 ). In the context of our survey, refugees’ religion, religious sponsorship, language, gender/family composition, and age affect evaluations of sociocultural fit.…”