Working Hard to Belong: Meritocratic Ideology and Deportation Sentiments among Latino Americans and Asian Americans

Many Latino and Asian Americans have ingrained the ethos of meritocracy to justify their arduous attempts to achieve the elusive American Dream. Such staunch meritocratic ideology, however, insidiously motivates individuals to support policies that may discriminate against them. In a current political landscape that is increasingly anti-immigration, Latino and Asian Americans are particularly vulnerable to deportation efforts. However, the concern (and even support) for deportation is not universally shared among the two largest immigrant groups in the United States. This research examined the extent to which meritocratic ideology predicts stronger support for deportation policies and alleviates deportation fears for oneself and close others among Latino and Asian Americans. Using data from the 2020 and 2024 Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Surveys, we found that stauncher meritocratic ideology among both Latino and Asian Americans predicted greater support for deportation policies and less concern about deportation. This research demonstrates that meritocratic ideology may promote attitudes that disproportionately impact Latino and Asian Americans’ own racial ingroup.