{"id":10961,"date":"2019-01-31T07:00:10","date_gmt":"2019-01-31T12:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beta.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/%year%\/%monthnum%\/%day%\/majority-of-americans-continue-to-say-immigrants-strengthen-the-u-s\/"},"modified":"2024-04-14T03:14:46","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T08:14:46","slug":"majority-of-americans-continue-to-say-immigrants-strengthen-the-u-s","status":"publish","type":"short-read","link":"https:\/\/beta.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2019\/01\/31\/majority-of-americans-continue-to-say-immigrants-strengthen-the-u-s\/","title":{"rendered":"Majority of Americans continue to say immigrants strengthen the U.S."},"content":{"rendered":"

The American public\u2019s views of the impact immigrants have on the country remain largely positive \u2013 and deeply partisan.<\/p>\n\n

\"Partisan<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

As in recent years, a majority (62%) say immigrants strengthen the country because of their hard work and talents. Just 28% say immigrants are a burden on the country because they take jobs, housing and health care, according to a new survey by Pew Research Center.<\/p>\n\n

These attitudes have changed little in the past few years, but they are very different from a quarter-century ago. In 1994, attitudes were nearly the reverse of what they are today: 63% of Americans said immigrants burdened the country and 31% said they strengthened it.<\/p>\n\n

An estimated 45.1 million immigrants were living in the U.S. in 2016<\/a>, accounting for 13.9% of the nation’s population. Most (76%) are in the country legally.<\/p>\n\n

Republicans and Democrats have never been further apart in their views of immigrants than they are currently. Democrats and those who lean to the Democratic Party overwhelmingly say immigrants are a strength to the nation (83% say this); just 11% say immigrants burden the United States. Among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, 38% say immigrants strengthen the country, while nearly half (49%) say they burden it.<\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

\"Generational<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

There also are sizable generational differences in opinions about immigrants. Three-quarters of Millennials (75%) say immigrants strengthen rather than burden the U.S. That compares with 63% of Gen Xers, 52% of Baby Boomers and 44% in the Silent Generation. In 1994, roughly comparable shares of Gen Xers, Boomers and Silents expressed positive views of immigrants.<\/p>\n\n

Generational differences are evident in both parties but are particularly stark among Republicans. More than half of Millennial Republicans (58%) say immigrants strengthen the country, compared with just 36% of Gen Xer Republicans and even smaller shares among older GOP generations. Among Democrats, there are only modest generational differences in these views, with no fewer than seven-in-ten of those in all generations saying this, including nearly nine-in-ten Millennial (88%) and Gen Xer (87%) Democrats.<\/p>\n\n

Note: See full topline results<\/a> and\u00a0methodology<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The American public\u2019s views of the impact immigrants have on the country remain largely positive \u2013 and deeply partisan. 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