Does downward social mobility make people more hostile towards immigrants?

This study explores the relationships between intergenerational social class mobility and attitudes towards immigration. We interpret a failure to keep up with parental (i.e., downward mobility) as an indicator that individual’s status achievements lag behind expectations contribute subjective feelings of loss decline. An innovative feature this is we investigate both whether experience – micro level also opportunity structures on macro are linked In contexts high downward-mobility, opportunities for moving limited hence perceived economic decline might lead more hostility immigrants. use European Social Survey data (2002–2010) conduct analyses 30 countries using diagonal reference models allow effects individual trajectory be disentangled from origin destination status. Our results show working classes hold stronger anti-immigration continues exert effect in adulthood even after accounting own position. Being downwardly mobile does not appear associated immigrants, except few like Italy, Poland, Greece. random-effects meta-regression show, however, people living hostile immigrants compared upward mobility.