The role of intergroup emotions at understanding the acculturation preferences toward valued and devalued immigrants in Mexico and Spain

Abstract

Previous research showed that majority group members’ perceptions of how minority groups acculturate are associated with their acculturation preferences. However, these studies have focused exclusively on traditionally devalued immigrants and have not examined the potential mediator role of emotions in the association between acculturation perceptions and preferences. The current research aimed to address these gaps by comparing the acculturation perceptions and preferences toward devalued vs. valued immigrants in two different countries and testing whether intergroup emotions mediate their association. We evaluated the perceptions and preferences for maintaining the original culture and adopting the majority (host) culture as well as the positive and negative intergroup emotions in two different contexts: in Mexico toward Honduran and US immigrants, and in Spain toward Moroccan and British immigrants. Using convenience samples in Mexico (Study 1) and Spain (Study 2), we conducted MANOVAs to analyze the different evaluations toward valued and devalued immigrants, and mediation analyses to clarify whether host country nationals’ perceptions of how immigrants are acculturating could be related to their preferences for immigrants’ acculturation via emotions. Results showed that valued immigrants were perceived but also preferred to adopt the majority culture more than devalued immigrants in both contexts. Valued immigrants were also perceived to maintain their culture more than devalued immigrants in Mexico, but the opposite happened in Spain. Mexicans preferred more maintenance among devalued immigrants, whereas Spaniards preferred more maintenance among valued immigrants. In both contexts, participants experienced more intense positive and negative emotions toward devalued (vs. valued) immigrants, and positive (but not negative) intergroup emotions mediated the positive association between the perception of adoption and the preference for maintenance. Taken together, these findings in two different countries are relevant to find commonalities or discrepancies depending on the context and groups analyzed, which may point to relevant factors for understanding the processes studied. We discuss the implications of these findings and the fact that devalued immigrants were perceived and preferred to adopt less than valued immigrants. Our findings can be applied in intervention programs that reflect immigrants' efforts to adopt the host culture, which may lead to more positive feelings toward them and a preference for them to maintain their culture.