Diluting perceived immigration threat: When and how intersectional identities shape views of North African immigrants

Abstract

In the European context, North African immigrants are often perceived as a threat to societal values and resources. Studies suggest that intersected identities (e.g., gay North African immigrant) may dilute the threat associated with one of those social categories (e.g., North African immigrant). However, the mechanisms underlying this dilution effect remain largely misunderstood. Three studies (N_Total = 1118) examine when and how immigration threat perception can be lessened, considering immigrants' intersecting identities. Using a mediated-moderation model, we tested the hypothesis that, when perceived value incongruence between North African and gay identities (the moderator) is high, gay North African men will be perceived as ‘less North African’ than presumptively straight North African men (i.e., low group typicality: the mediator), which in turn would be associated with lower threat perception and less prejudice. Studies 1–2 revealed that participants evaluate North African immigrant men as less threatening when described as gay (vs. not). This threat dilution effect emerges especially when participants believe that North African immigrant and gay identities are highly incongruent. Studies 2–3 show that gay North African immigrants are perceived as less associated with typical attributes of the category ‘North African immigrant’, which may account for the diminished threat.