07/12/2021
By Jason Carter
Ph.D. Candidate: Kyrie Kowalik
Date: July 29, 2020
Time: 9-10:30 a.m.
Location: via Zoom - Those wishing to attend should email Angelica_DuranMartinez@uml.edu for information.
Committee: Angelica Duran-Martinez (chair), Department of Political Science; John Wooding, Department of Political Science and Cheryl Llewelyn, Department of Sociology.
Abstract:
While the United States essentially developed as a nation of immigrants, public opinion and immigration policy has been anything but consistent throughout its short history. In recent history, fears of foreigners escalated after the September 11th attacks, with public opinion and policies continuing to shift from inclusive to exclusive. Inclusive policies are those that allow all types of immigrants or a specific group of immigrants to enter the United States more easily or to gain citizenship in an easier fashion. Exclusionary policies are those that make it more difficult for all or a specific group of immigrants to enter or remain in the country. This leads one to wonder, what has influenced these policy changes and shifts in public opinion since September 11th and why do immigration policies often focus on US safety? This paper will utilize regression techniques to analyze the relationship between crime, economic factors, immigration, and changes in news media discourse on immigration and crime, on one hand, and immigration policy on the other. This project will contribute to the field by being one of the first to compare the influences of different immigrant groups and will attempt to argue that media’s portrayal of immigrants’ supposed connection to crime influences immigration policies over time.