The conditional relationship between cultural and economic threats in white Americans’ support for refugee relocation programs

Objective Scholars have reached conflicting results as to the relative importance of cultural and economic threats to majority group receptivity to immigrants and refugees. This study seeks to test whether cultural or economic threat has a stronger influence on white Americans’ receptivity to Syrian refugees. Method We designed a 2 × 2 priming experiment fielded among white Americans in 2015 that varies both the religion of Syrian refugees to be admitted to the United States (Christian vs. Muslim) and the material costs of refugee admission (economic burden vs. no economic burden). Results The results show that cultural threat (Muslim religion) is not by itself sufficient to induce a decline in receptivity among white Americans. Instead, it is the combination of cultural and economic threats that leads to lower levels of refugee acceptance. Conclusion Cultural threat, especially when it comes to religious “others,” may not operate alone but in conjunction with material fears.