George Mason University Study Shows Deep Anti-Immigration Sentiment in Pockets of Prince William County

A study by George Mason University researchers has found that a majority of residents in two Manassas neighborhoods express deep-seated anti-immigrant sentiments, though fewer than half say immigration has affected them personally. The survey, which included life history interviews, was conducted from Spring 2008 to Summer 2009 to attain an in-depth understanding of the forces inciting a local movement to adopt legislation to “crackdown” on illegal immigration in Prince William County.

Forty-six percent of those surveyed indicated that immigration had had either no effect on them personally or has had a positive effect. A total of 79 percent stated that they like their neighborhoods and 56.9 percent said that they planned to stay in their neighborhood in the next 5 years.

Yet, 53 percent of residents in the Weems and Sumner Lakes neighborhoods surveyed stated that the U.S. should take decisive action to deport illegal immigrants, and/or blamed them for depleting local resources such as health care and education. Some expressed strong anti-immigrant sentiments as indicated by the statements: “The place is being barraged with Latinos…Everywhere you go, there are swarms of them,” and, “Can I send them on a bus and load it up until they all speak English?” Others were more moderate in their sentiments, citing the issue of immigrants having entered the country illegally as a key concern.

“Our research suggests that the changes that have taken place in Manassas in the last 20 years have been unsettling for some residents,” says Debra Lattanzi Shutika, assistant professor of English at Mason. “Many of these residents seemed to be experiencing what I have identified as a type of ‘localized displacement’—they feel out of place in their home community. In some cases, residents told us that they found it difficult to adapt to the changes taking place around them, and that these changes that made their ‘home’ seem unfamiliar.”

Interviews were conducted in selected neighborhoods revealed by Census tract data and press accounts to have become home to both white, native-born Americans and Latino immigrants in the preceding decade. An unknown number of immigrants are alleged to have entered the U.S. without documentation. The survey employed an in-depth sampling strategy, the ethnosurvey, which requires in-person interviews at randomly-selected street addresses. The survey produced 104 responses for face-to-face interviews of approximately one hour in which residents were asked their opinions on a number of neighborhood quality of life measures. These findings were followed by 21 life history interviews that were taped and transcribed verbatim.

Shutika and colleague Carol Cleaveland are examining the discrepancy between the perceived high quality of life for most residents and the expression of strong anti-immigrant sentiments. One explanation, the researchers note, might be the patterns of residency – in particular the use of residential property to house large groups of men. Neighbors believed the men had been recruited for the construction industry, which had flourished in the area prior to the recession. Sixty-six percent of those interviewed complained of overcrowded houses, and 59 percent stated that too many cars are parked on streets as a result of this crowding. Fifty-three percent said some homes in their neighborhood were poorly maintained. Seventy percent cited foreclosures as a problem in their neighborhoods.

“Homeowners naturally want their investments to appreciate,” says Cleaveland, a faculty member in Mason’s Department of Social Work. “What becomes problematic is turning this discussion into one about the presence of a particular group of people, and creating a social issue in which a certain segment of the population is targeted. We would have hoped for a debate and response that concerned trash pick-up, parking and overcrowding, instead of one in which a particular group is singled out as problematic.”

Both researchers emphasize that that the work they’ve done is not meant to be a representative sample of the larger population in Prince William County. “Our intent was to gain a more in-depth understanding of how the controversy broke out in Manassas, and to understand how residents interpreted the events happening in their community,” says Shutika.

About George Mason University

Named the #1 national university to watch in the 2009 rankings of U.S. News & World Report, George Mason University is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with global distinction in a range of academic fields. Located in Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., Mason provides students access to diverse cultural experiences and the most sought-after internships and employers in the country. Mason offers strong undergraduate and graduate degree programs in engineering and information technology, organizational psychology, health care and visual and performing arts. With Mason professors conducting groundbreaking research in areas such as climate change, public policy and the biosciences, George Mason University is a leading example of the modern, public university.”

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