Most of region’s whites also want those who hire undocumented workers punished
An anti-illegal immigrant sentiment is taking hold in the Houston region, according to a new Rice University survey showing that most white residents in Fort Bend, Galveston and Montgomery counties favor punishing employers who hire undocumented workers.
The survey, released Thursday, reflects how contentious the illegal immigration debate has become and provides a fresh glimpse into regional attitudes about a subject that’s increasingly becoming a major presidential election issue.
The report is an extension of the 2007 Houston Area Survey released earlier this year that showed immigration support eroding among Harris County residents, where whites make up 37 percent of the population.
“Anglos who live in predominantly Anglo areas are less likely to interact and meet minorities,” said Stephen Klineberg, the Rice University sociology professor who has directed the annual survey for 26 years. “And they have more reservations about ethnic diversity.”*
*The implication here is that any white American who’s uncomfortable with the ongoing demographic shift needs to be re-educated in order to tolerate that continued shift. –Ed.
For the first time, Klineberg expanded his survey to Galveston, Fort Bend and Montgomery counties. Only the responses of white residents were used in questions about immigrants, Klineberg said, because the non-Anglo percentages in the four counties varied widely.
The survey found 57 percent of Montgomery County respondents and 59 percent in mainland Galveston County believe the immigrant influx “mostly threatens American culture.”
In addition, 73 percent of whites in mainland Galveston and Montgomery County favor fines and criminal charges against employers who hire illegal immigrants.