This study investigates whether reminding Americans about their own immigration narratives can foster more inclusive attitudes toward current migrants. Building on research linking perspective-taking to reduced prejudice, we explore if activating family histories indirectly promotes empathy for newcomers. Using three survey experiments over two years, our findings reveal small but consistent effects in increasing support across partisan groups and even among Trump supporters.
Data & Methods: Three independent survey experiments with diverse American samples. Key Findings: Priming personal immigration narratives generated modest inclusionary effects regardless of political alignment or approval ratings of President Trump. Mechanism: Increased empathy for immigrants appears to drive these positive attitudinal shifts.
| Family Matters: How Immigrant Histories Can Promote Inclusion was authored by Adeline Lo, Scott Williamson, Claire Adida, Melina Platas, Lauren Prather and Seth Werfel. It was published by Cambridge in APSR in 2021. |
