AN ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC-OPINION TOWARD UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRATION

Public opinion toward illegal migration to the United States varies co nsiderably across different segments of the population, but little is known about why some individuals hold more liberal attitudes than othe rs. Several hypotheses are scattered throughout the research literatur e, but they have not been brought together in one place and tested usi ng a common data set. Nor have the limited tests been satisfactory fro m a methodological standpoint. Instead of using multiple regression, t ypically analysts have relied on cross-tabulations of the data. This p aper tests five hypotheses about attitudes toward illegal immigration and undocumented migrants using public opinion data from southern Cali fornia. Only weak support is found for a labor market competition hypo thesis. There is firmer evidence for hypotheses relating to cultural a ffinity between respondents and undocumented migrants and to the role of education. Respondents' evaluations of tangible costs and benefits to themselves also influence their assessments of illegal immigration. Finally, the results of this analysis provide additional support for a symbolic politics model of opinion formation when the model is exten ded to the issue of undocumented migration to the United States.