1873–2025

Not Like Us

Tracking immigrant sentiment in Congressional speeches

Sentiment over time

Percentage of immigration mentions by sentiment, per congressional session — stratified by party

Stereotyping rate

Share of immigration mentions flagged for stereotyping, per session

Target groups over time

Share of immigration mentions by target group, per session

Immigrants General Refugees Undocumented Immigrants Specific Other Jewish Naturalized Citizens Chinese Mexican Asian Latin American European Italian Irish Polish German African Middle Eastern

Framing categories over time

Share of immigration mentions by rhetorical framing, per congressional session

Legal / procedural Humanitarian Economic contributor Security threat Victim Economic threat Cultural enrichment Family values Criminal Cultural threat

Partisan sentiment gap

Republican negative% minus Democrat negative%, per target group and session — positive means R more negative

Mention volume

Immigration mentions per 1,000 speeches analyzed, per session — stacked by party

Sessions

Click a session to explore individual mentions

Session Years Mentions Sentiment Top group Stereotyping
#431873–75276
31.9% neg · 15.9% pos
Chinese13.0%
#441875–77254
29.5% neg · 21.3% pos
Chinese11.8%
#451877–79371
41.0% neg · 12.1% pos
Chinese19.9%
#461879–81464
32.3% neg · 16.6% pos
Specific Other9.9%
#471881–83996
46.0% neg · 11.1% pos
Chinese24.8%
#481883–85390
48.7% neg · 11.3% pos
Chinese25.6%
#491885–87290
37.2% neg · 14.5% pos
Chinese17.2%
#501887–89906
39.7% neg · 12.8% pos
Chinese21.0%
#511889–91738
40.1% neg · 11.5% pos
Chinese17.3%
#521891–93487
40.0% neg · 7.0% pos
Chinese17.2%
#531893–95917
41.1% neg · 14.6% pos
Chinese17.6%
#541895–97593
33.9% neg · 15.7% pos
Asian18.2%
#551897–99538
46.8% neg · 11.0% pos
Asian26.0%
#561899–1901364
37.9% neg · 12.4% pos
Asian19.2%
#571901–03956
42.1% neg · 6.6% pos
Chinese19.8%
#581903–05302
32.5% neg · 9.9% pos
Chinese10.6%
#591905–071,072
33.2% neg · 12.8% pos
Specific Other17.4%
#601907–09487
35.1% neg · 12.9% pos
Chinese16.0%
#611909–11529
39.3% neg · 11.7% pos
Asian14.2%
#621911–131,146
33.9% neg · 13.7% pos
European17.5%
#631913–151,859
32.9% neg · 15.8% pos
Asian16.6%
#641915–171,164
29.4% neg · 15.4% pos
Specific Other14.6%
#651917–19680
27.9% neg · 15.6% pos
Specific Other12.5%
#661919–211,225
42.1% neg · 9.6% pos
Specific Other18.5%
#671921–231,151
39.7% neg · 11.9% pos
Specific Other14.8%
#681923–251,840
32.9% neg · 13.2% pos
Specific Other18.4%
#691925–27635
31.5% neg · 9.4% pos
Mexican11.5%
#701927–29672
27.7% neg · 13.5% pos
Mexican11.6%
#711929–311,438
32.5% neg · 7.6% pos
Mexican12.6%
#721931–33581
36.8% neg · 7.1% pos
Specific Other11.0%
#731933–35344
40.4% neg · 10.8% pos
Specific Other14.8%
#741935–37777
48.4% neg · 8.9% pos
Undocumented Immigrants12.6%
#751937–39615
40.7% neg · 11.1% pos
Undocumented Immigrants11.9%
#761939–411,261
46.5% neg · 11.7% pos
Refugees12.4%
#771941–43584
41.8% neg · 12.7% pos
Refugees13.7%
#781943–45794
30.5% neg · 26.8% pos
Chinese11.1%
#791945–47732
29.9% neg · 27.6% pos
Jewish10.2%
#801947–491,077
26.5% neg · 21.1% pos
Refugees9.4%
#811949–511,755
30.2% neg · 18.6% pos
Refugees9.7%
#821951–531,689
33.0% neg · 19.5% pos
Refugees7.2%
#831953–551,641
27.7% neg · 27.2% pos
Refugees7.7%
#841955–571,708
23.8% neg · 30.4% pos
Refugees6.0%
#851957–591,820
16.5% neg · 37.6% pos
Refugees6.3%
#861959–611,545
19.2% neg · 38.2% pos
Refugees5.4%
#871961–632,336
23.0% neg · 35.7% pos
Refugees5.1%
#881963–652,059
22.2% neg · 39.6% pos
Refugees5.6%
#891965–673,161
20.0% neg · 38.5% pos
Refugees6.6%
#901967–691,787
20.7% neg · 38.2% pos
Refugees5.7%
#911969–711,792
27.7% neg · 32.4% pos
Refugees7.3%
#921971–732,776
34.5% neg · 35.9% pos
Refugees4.3%
#931973–752,774
25.9% neg · 38.9% pos
Jewish3.6%
#941975–773,086
25.5% neg · 35.5% pos
Refugees4.6%
#951977–792,721
32.2% neg · 34.4% pos
Refugees4.5%
#961979–813,989
26.1% neg · 36.8% pos
Refugees4.8%
#971981–834,175
32.1% neg · 35.0% pos
Jewish3.8%
#981983–854,887
36.4% neg · 30.6% pos
Jewish4.3%
#991985–875,354
33.4% neg · 34.8% pos
Jewish4.4%
#1001987–894,367
27.2% neg · 40.6% pos
Refugees3.5%
#1011989–914,111
24.8% neg · 40.2% pos
Refugees4.2%
#1021991–933,660
26.0% neg · 42.2% pos
Refugees4.5%
#1031993–954,209
44.3% neg · 21.4% pos
Undocumented Immigrants7.0%
#1041995–974,940
41.9% neg · 21.1% pos
Undocumented Immigrants6.5%
#1051997–993,732
32.5% neg · 34.1% pos
Refugees4.9%
#1061999–20013,976
27.7% neg · 39.3% pos
Refugees3.2%
#1072001–033,933
31.1% neg · 30.4% pos
Undocumented Immigrants5.2%
#1082003–054,003
37.4% neg · 31.0% pos
Undocumented Immigrants6.1%
#1092005–077,964
34.9% neg · 24.4% pos
Undocumented Immigrants5.7%
#1102007–096,134
37.7% neg · 25.4% pos
Undocumented Immigrants5.2%
#1112009–113,741
35.5% neg · 33.7% pos
Undocumented Immigrants5.2%
#1122011–132,900
28.7% neg · 42.5% pos
Undocumented Immigrants4.2%
#1132013–156,775
32.7% neg · 28.4% pos
Undocumented Immigrants3.5%
#1142015–174,334
38.6% neg · 27.6% pos
Undocumented Immigrants8.1%
#1152017–195,797
38.3% neg · 33.1% pos
Undocumented Immigrants6.6%
#1162019–214,468
40.9% neg · 25.5% pos
Undocumented Immigrants5.9%
#1172021–234,025
55.2% neg · 26.8% pos
Undocumented Immigrants6.7%
#1182023–255,213
60.3% neg · 16.1% pos
Undocumented Immigrants9.5%