Immigration and the American Ethos

'In recent years, immigration has become a front-burner political issue in the US. A growing body of research argues that Americans' attitudes about immigration are fundamentally about their views on different ethnic and racial groups, but in this far-reaching and illuminating book, Levy and Wright provide a sweeping challenge to group-oriented accounts of public opinion on immigration and demonstrate convincingly that values play a central role. This book methodically builds a timely, compelling alternative to group-centered accounts of attitudes, one that will reshape how scholars and citizens alike think about immigration and public opinion in general.' Daniel J. Hopkins, University of Pennsylvania
'In this theoretically subtle and carefully crafted empirical work, Levy and Wright advance a more complete analysis of Americans' immigration attitudes than is common in scholarship and public discourse. They make important, provocative, even controversial, claims: 'ideas' or ideals often trump 'interests' in attitudes toward immigrants and 'civic fairness' is as (or more) important than group-centrism. This is a significant contribution that deeply informs and challenges our understanding of enduring issues in American politics.' Rodney E. Hero, Arizona State University
'This book provides crucial new evidence that helps explain Americans' complex opinions on immigration.' John Sides, Vanderbilt University
'The book is extensively researched and the authors' contentions are well founded …' R. F. Zeidel, Choice
'Immigration and the American Ethos is a must-read.' Tom K. Wong, American Politics