Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

Fall 12-3-2025

Faculty Advisor(s)

Ann Gordon

Abstract

Contemporary concerns about “illegal” immigration reveal deep-seated anxieties about race, cultural, and national identity in the United States. In this paper, I examine how xenophobia, media consumption, and Christian nationalism collectively shape fear of illegal immigrants. I build upon previous literature, such as the Group Threat Theory, which posits that dominant groups mobilize to preserve social hierarchies when their status is threatened, and the Agenda-Setting Theory, which emphasizes the media’s power to shape public perceptions. Using Wave 11 of the Chapman Survey of American Fears–a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults collected in 2025–I provide a comparative analysis of these factors to identify the most salient predisposition that drives anti-immigrant sentiment. Findings indicate that (1) Fox News viewers exhibit significantly higher levels of fear toward illegal immigration. Contrary to earlier research, (2) reliance on social media does not significantly increase fear compared to traditional media sources. Furthermore, (3) attending religious services leads to a greater fear of illegal immigrants among individuals. Among all predictors, (4) xenophobia emerges as the strongest driver of fear. Collectively, the results show how nativist anxieties, amplified through selective media exposure and moralized through religious nationalism, continue to fuel public fear and hostility toward immigrants. I present an updated empirical test of these dynamics, demonstrating how cultural, media, and ideological forces jointly shape immigration fears in the U.S. These findings underscore the need to reconsider how such narratives define American identity and obstruct a truly inclusive, multicultural society.

Comments

Presented at the Fall 2025 Student Scholar Symposium at Chapman University.

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