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Cornelius, Ambivalent Reception to

Latino Immigration

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U.S. economy dependent upon Latino immigrants

Social Structures: recurring patterns of behavior

E.g., Social Networks: immigrant labor markets linkimmigrants w/ specific U.S. employers

Geographic dispersal due to need for low-wage labor

Many industries & cities economically dependent on Latinoimmigrants to do low-wage work

Pressure from business community

Most Latino immigrants (legal or undocumented) are fullyemployed mostly in fast growing industries

Demand for Latino immigrant labor has become structuralin character

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Ambivalent Public Response

On the one hand, most Americans recognize

economic value of Latino immigrants

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Ambivalent reception, cont.

On the other hand, 50-70% Americans opposed to

Latino immigration for noneconomic reasons:

ethnicity, language, culture.

Even if not personally threatened economically

Anti-Latino nativism as a cultural structure:

recurring, patterned symbols, ideas and values.

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Not just anti-immigrant. Many have a more

positive view of Asians & Asian immigration.

(remember Claire Kims analysis).

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Cornelius, Table 8.4

Evaluation of Immigrants since 1980 (1997 survey) % expressing Unfavorable

Africa 18%

Europe 12

Middle East 30

Mexico 34Central/South America 23

Cuba 35

Other Caribbean (Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, etc.) 29

India 21China 19

Japan 18

Philippines 19

Other Asian (Korea, Vietnam, etc.) 25

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Cornelius assembles evidence from

survey data & voting records.Many opposed to Latino immigration also:

Dont like multigenerational households

Have negative perceptions of Latinos as ethnic group

Believe Latinos too demanding for equal rights Oppose multiculturalism

Fear that growing numbers dilute Americas core culture(salsa v. ketchup)

Disapprove of bilingualism Fear that Latinos dont learn English & assimilate

(Studies show that almost all 2nd & 3rd generation Latinos havestrong English & most lose Spanish Prof. April Linton)

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Many of those who voted for Prop 187 also for Prop 227

CA Prop 187 in 1994 (59%; overturned by courts)

Restricted public services, including education &

health care, to illegal immigrants (1998 only 22%)

CA Prop 227 in 1998 (61%) No public funds for bilingual education

Opposition more complex than pre-1965 anti-immigrant sentiment,which was often based on biology (Kim)

23% Latinos supported Prop 187 and 37% for Prop 227

Core Fear = immigration & Spanish language cultural fragmentation

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How would Cornelius characterize Latinos using Claire Kimsterms?

Double elision

Cultural Structures of:

Valorization (superiority inferiority)

Civic ostracism (insider foreigner)

Where would Cornelius put Latinos on Cornell &Hartmanns graph?

Assigned vs. Asserted; Thick vs. Thin

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Anti-immigrant nativism in 19th early 20thCenturies

In early 20th

cent. German Americans and IrishAmericans dock workers refused to recognizetheir Italian immigrant counterparts as whitemen (Lipsitz)

Whites in power construct cultural definition ofwhite changes over time.

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Anti-immigrant nativism in early 21st C.

E.g., Escondido, CA

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