Despite needing more people, bringing immigrants in would have more of a change effect on the overall culture of a place than immigration to places with larger overall populations, which probably explains some of the fear. People want their town/ village etc to be what they remember it to be but a better version of itself. They don’t want it to be different. If they wanted different, they would have already probably moved themselves. People who live in areas with larger populations are already used to the variety of people of different cultures among them and they feel less personally threatened.
- I’ve not lived in a town that was shrinking. But I can imagine that if I do, and I thought that it was a problem that the town was shrinking, I wouldn’t necessarily think that bringing in foreigners would restore what I like about my town, even if I thought they would contribute economically
- perhaps there’s an element that people in shrinking towns are more pessimistic generally than people in growing places? And as a result of being more pessimistic, more anti-immigrant
I think that while the finding that people recognize population loss is interesting, the more uncomfortable question is why they oppose immigration as a fix. People in shrinking places may understand the economics just fine and still say no, because what they want back is the town they grew up in, and no immigration policy brings that back.
https://substack.com/@aaronruby/note/p-198323227?r=7jhui4
Despite needing more people, bringing immigrants in would have more of a change effect on the overall culture of a place than immigration to places with larger overall populations, which probably explains some of the fear. People want their town/ village etc to be what they remember it to be but a better version of itself. They don’t want it to be different. If they wanted different, they would have already probably moved themselves. People who live in areas with larger populations are already used to the variety of people of different cultures among them and they feel less personally threatened.
A couple thoughts:
- I’ve not lived in a town that was shrinking. But I can imagine that if I do, and I thought that it was a problem that the town was shrinking, I wouldn’t necessarily think that bringing in foreigners would restore what I like about my town, even if I thought they would contribute economically
- perhaps there’s an element that people in shrinking towns are more pessimistic generally than people in growing places? And as a result of being more pessimistic, more anti-immigrant
In even the fastest-growing counties, 30% of the population complains of population loss?
I think that while the finding that people recognize population loss is interesting, the more uncomfortable question is why they oppose immigration as a fix. People in shrinking places may understand the economics just fine and still say no, because what they want back is the town they grew up in, and no immigration policy brings that back.