Research shows that immigrants tend to bring their prejudices with them, adopting the anti-immigrant sentiments of their new hosts. Middle-class immigrants may fear a loss of status. Others simply seek to distinguish themselves from a stigmatised group.
I grew up in the Midwest as a child of a Mexican and American. By 16, I was regurgitating Ben Shapiro anti-immigration rhetoric. Why?
The same reason anyone is racist. I grew up around it. The people I knew and loved were white and that was reflected in the media I was exposed to. Subliminal messages and implied suggestions over entire childhood. They might claim they don’t like the illegal, but the truth is that they’ve internalized the hatred of the culture they identify with.
I don’t understand why this comment is so low. As an immigrant myself who migrated when I was very young, the answer of internalized racism is very obvious to me. It took me almost 25 years to fully open my eyes to the racist beliefs I had internalized growing up, and even being aware of it now, it takes an awful lot of self-work to unlearn certain things.