Canadian’s attitudes toward immigration in the COVID-19 era

Newbold, K. Bruce; Wayland, Sarah; Wahoush, Olive; Weerakoon, Yudara

doi:10.33182/ml.v18i4.1232

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Notably, the Canadian government’s decision to continue deporting thousands of people during unsafe traveling times (Mehler Paperny, 2021) and the detrimental effects of the pandemic on Canadians’ attitudes toward immigration (Newbold, 2020) can lead to a future development of restrictive immigration policies that are unethical or based on a false perception of heightened intergroup threat. We believe that our context-driven research findings about intergroup contact, ideological factors and Canadians’ support for newly implemented immigration policies provide evidence of intergroup bias.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring associations between intergroup contact, ideology, and support for new restrictive cannabis policies and penalties in Canada.

Buliga¹,

MacInnis²

2022

Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science / Revue canadienne des

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Contact between different groups (i.e., intergroup contact) is well supported as a means to reduce negative intergroup attitudes. It is important, however, to explore outcomes of intergroup contact beyond intergroup attitudes, especially outcomes tied to social change such as policy support. We examined the relationship between intergroup contact and support (or lack of support) for cannabis-related policies and penalties specific to immigrants. We examined this in Canada, where the recent legalization of cannabis led to new policies with varying degrees of public support. Among Canadian undergraduates, we found that more contact with immigrants was associated with lower support for relatively harsh cannabis-related penalties for immigrants. In particular, having higher-quality contact with immigrants was associated with greater opposition to such penalties. Additionally, those higher in right-wing ideology were more supportive of penalties for outgroup members (immigrants) than ingroup members (Canadians in general). Future directions and potential implications of the findings are discussed. Public Significance StatementPenalties for driving under the influence of cannabis for immigrants in Canada (e.g., losing permanent resident status) have been viewed by some as unduly harsh. We demonstrate that Canadians having more (less) contact with immigrants are less (more) supportive of such penalties. We also uncover a double standard by which some Canadians were more supportive of cannabis-related penalties specific to immigrants but not more supportive of cannabis-related penalties for Canadians more generally.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring associations between intergroup contact, ideology, and support for new restrictive cannabis policies and penalties in Canada.

Buliga¹,

MacInnis²

2022

Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science / Revue canadienne des

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“…The uncertain and unexpected nature of the circumstances might have affected the participants’ opinions on matters related to Muslims’ presence in Canada. Indeed, a study conducted during the COVID pandemic found that Canadians supported stricter immigration policies, and promoted closed borders ( Newbold, 2020 ). In addition, shaped by the pandemic, anti-Muslim hate crimes where a man drove a car into a Muslim family in London, Ontario killing four out of five family members as well as demonstrations against Islam as a religion in Canada took place ( Ellsworth, 2022 ).…”

Section: Limitations and Future Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cultural similarity predicts social inclusion of Muslims in Canada: A vignette-based experimental survey

Tahir

Safdar

2022

Front. Psychol.

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Based on acculturation psychology and intergroup emotions theory, the current experimental study assessed the effects of Muslims’ perceived acculturation strategies by the majority group on social exclusion of Muslims in Canada, and to what extent religious resentment mediated the relationship between Muslims’ perceived acculturation strategies and social exclusion. The experimental study used a vignette-based approach. This model was examined among 190 non-Muslim Canadians. Results showed that when Muslims were viewed as assimilated in Canadian society, social exclusion of Muslims and religious resentment toward Muslims decreased. Furthermore, religious resentment mediated the association between Muslims’ perceived acculturation strategies and social exclusion only when Muslims were perceived as assimilated. Our findings suggest that Canadian majority-group members indicated positive attitude toward Muslims when they were identified as assimilated in Canadian society. Results are discussed in terms of implications for future studies and intergroup relations.

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“…Earlier work by the Newbold et al (2021) also noted that racism and discrimination were a concern within Canada, with the pandemic potentially exacerbating these issues. Although not exclusively focused on Canada's Asian community, a national survey completed in August 2020 observed that nearly 37% of Canadians had, for example, felt that racism and discrimination had increased since March 2020.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The increased racism and suspicion towards immigrants coincided with the emergence of a new federal political party that encouraged anti‐immigrant sentiments and fielded candidates in the 2019 and 2020 general elections, drew upon anti‐immigrant sentiments as part of the party's platform. Although Canadians remain supportive of the country's immigration policy (Newbold et al, 2021; Environics, 2019), anti‐immigrant sentiments have tended to be more common among older Canadians, the less educated and in the province of Alberta.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Strange eyes’: Immigrant perceptions of racism during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Newbold

Vrabic

Wayland³

et al. 2022

Population Space and Place

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As the COVID‐19 pandemic emerged, instances of anti‐immigrant racism and more specifically anti‐Asian racism appeared to increase across Canada. Recognising the need to further explore and document racism and its link with the COVID‐19 pandemic, this paper explores the impact of COVID‐19 on the experiences of racism and discrimination. Using neoracism as a theoretical framework, the research is set in the city of Hamilton, Ontario, a city that has struggled with high levels of racism and discrimination in recent years. The paper draws upon both an online survey as well as interviews that explored the lived experiences of racialized individuals within the city and their experiences with racism as the pandemic progressed. Results note that individuals felt that racism and discrimination increased during the pandemic and was experienced in housing, the labour force and other public situations.

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Canadian’s attitudes toward immigration in the COVID-19 era

Cited by 6 publications

References 17 publications

Exploring associations between intergroup contact, ideology, and support for new restrictive cannabis policies and penalties in Canada.

Exploring associations between intergroup contact, ideology, and support for new restrictive cannabis policies and penalties in Canada.

Cultural similarity predicts social inclusion of Muslims in Canada: A vignette-based experimental survey

‘Strange eyes’: Immigrant perceptions of racism during the COVID‐19 pandemic

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