Americanism in the Twenty-First Century
Americanism in the Twenty-First Century
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This book explores public opinion about being and becoming American, and its implications for contemporary immigration debates. It focuses on the causes and consequences of two aspects of American identity: how people define being American and whether people think of themselves primarily as American rather than as members of a panethnic or national origin group. Importantly, the book evaluates the claim – made by scholars and pundits alike – that all Americans should prioritize their American identity instead of an ethnic or national origin identity. It finds that national identity within American democracy can be a blessing or a curse. It can enhance participation, trust, and obligation. But it can be a curse when perceptions of deviation lead to threat and resentment. It can also be a curse for minorities who are attached to their American identity but also perceive discrimination.
- New nationally representative data with oversamples of black, Latino, and Asian respondents, designed specifically to examine the questions explored in this book
- Comprehensive examination of public opinion about immigration among people from a variety of backgrounds
- Introduces new analytical concept of 'immigrant resentment' to the literature; develops survey measures of this concept and demonstrates its impact on public opinion
Product details
January 2011Paperback
9780521145244
280 pages
235 × 156 × 15 mm
0.4kg
15 b/w illus. 38 tables
Available
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. The 21st century Americanism survey
- 3. Defining American identity in the 21st century
- 4. Policy implications of multidimensional Americanism
- 5. The myths and realities of identity prioritization
- 6. Does 'becoming American' create a 'better' American?
- 7. Immigrant resentment: when the work ethic backfires
- 8. The politics of American identity.
