Discussing the migration of favorable minority groups has positive effects on majority group attitudes

Migration is a contentious topic and migrants often face intense hostility in their host country. Discussions about migration generally focus on specific groups. Can focusing on different migrant groups be used to reduce hostility toward migrants and refugees? Integrating research on re-categorisation and model minority, we propose that subtly highlighting a well-liked minority group's migration background can improve attitudes of majority groups towards current immigrants and refugees. We test this argument through four survey experiments in three countries that vary significantly in their demographics and attitudes towards migrants: Turkey, USA, and Germany. We find that when respondents are subtly reminded that well-liked minority groups came to the country as migrants, there is a significant positive effect on attitudes towards migrants across a number of measures. Additionally, when we highlight the migration history of a less-liked group, there is a negative significant effect on attitudes toward migrants. These effects also extend to policy preferences. The results are remarkably consistent across the three different countries, highlighting a subtle method by which attitudes towards migrants can be improved even in hostile contexts.

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