A question for Texans - how have your opinions on both legal and illegal immigration from Latin America changed over the last few years?
In the last week, I've heard/read two different reports of the perspective of Texans on immigration (specifically, Mexican/Latin American immigration). One comes from a July 9 Economist podcast. (Note: I have linked the story, not the podcast; the podcast interview mentions this fact, while the article does not.)
While largely focused on the economic, political, and structural factors that allowed Texas to better weather the recession than other sunbelt states (notably, California), I was particularly drawn to the point that Texans actually have a more favorable view of (legal) Latin American immigrants than the vast majority of the country.
The second comes from a NYTimes article on the strong shift in sentiment concerning illegal Latin American immigrants, especially in the wake of the 2006 murder of a Houston police officer by a previously deported felon, and the near-death of another officer in March at the hands of another illegal immigrant with a criminal history.
What both articles do not provide is a sense of how average Texans view immigrants, both legal and illegal, and the impact that a recession has had on both.* Historically, communities, Texan or otherwise, have looked with hostility toward immigrants during times of economic duress. California, for example, had armed vigilantes at its Eastern border to keep "Okies" and other internally displaced persons during the Great Depression.
So, Texans, time to speak up. Has there been a change? How have your opinions, and the opinions of your community, on both legal and illegal immigration from Latin America changed over the last few years?
*I hope to search for, and find, some longitudinal data on this, broken down by state. Will try Pew and a few other organizations - recommendations greatly appreciated. Naturally, I will update this post when I find them.
