Perceived cultural-value threats often outweigh economic ones in anti-immigrant bias.

Evidence

Symbolic threats have also provided an alternative explanation for biases against immigrants. Although RGCT focuses on economic threats as explanations for prejudice against immigrants, symbolic threat theory (Sears, 1988) proposes that these biases are due to perceived threats to cultural values. Multiple studies have illustrated that perceived threats to the ingroup’s values by foreigners are related to increases in negative attitudes toward immigrants (Esses, Haddock, & Zanna, 1993; Esses, Hodson, & Dovidio, 2003). Additionally, in some instances, beliefs that foreigners would negatively impact or undermine American values is a stronger predictor of negative attitudes toward immigrants than perceptions of realistic threats (McLaren, 2003). — Blake M. Riek, Eric W. Mania, and Samuel L. Gaertner, Intergroup Threat and Outgroup Attitudes, 39

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Tight cultures perceive more intergroup threat than loose cultures do. — Walter G. Stephan, Oscar Ybarra, Kimberly Rios Morrison, Intergroup Threat Theory, 10; Perceived threats to ingroup values and wealth generate anxiety that fuels prejudice. — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice: Fifty Years…, 336; States respond to perceived cultural-ideological threats, not raw power balances (+6 more)

Broader Connections

• Authoritarianism and preference for cultural homogeneity drive anti-Muslim stereotypes. #corroborates (0.86) — Carl W. Ernst, Islamophobia in America_ The Anatomy of…, 253
• Perceived threats to ingroup values and wealth generate anxiety that fuels prejudice. #corroborates (0.85) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 336
• European prejudice targets culture rather than race #exemplifies (0.84) — Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations and the…, 534
• States respond to perceived cultural-ideological threats, not raw power balances #exemplifies (0.82)
• Christian statism predicts anti-immigrant prejudice while religious traditionalism does not. #corroborates (0.78) — Ruiqian Li and Paul Froese, The Duality of American Christian…, 151
• Poor economic conditions amplify bias toward large minority groups. #qualifies (0.75) — Blake M. Riek, Eric W. Mania, and Samuel L. Gaertner, Intergroup Threat and Outgroup Attitudes, 29
• Religion fuels prejudice against value-violating groups but restrains prejudice against racial groups. #expands (0.73) — Annetta Snell and Miron Zuckerman and Bonnie M. Le, Does Religious Priming Induce Greater…, 17
• Tight cultures perceive more intergroup threat than loose cultures do. #qualifies (0.72) — Walter G. Stephan, Oscar Ybarra, Kimberly Rios Morrison, Intergroup Threat Theory, 10
• Ethnic frictions and status rivalries shape prejudice more than ideology does #complicates (0.72) — John Higham, Strangers in the Land, 2016