Poll: Majority says immigrants should adapt to a shared American culture

A slim majority of respondents in a survey released Monday said immigrants moving to the U.S. should adapt to a shared culture and values.

Fifty-one percent of participants said immigrants should assume an established U.S. culture, while 46 percent said a blend of cultures and values should make up the country when new residents arrive, according to the poll from The Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

{mosads}Republicans were more likely to say immigrants should embrace a shared American culture, with 77 percent of GOP respondents and 32 percent of Democrats agreeing with that statement. Fifty-seven percent of Democrats said that recent immigrants have indeed adapted to American culture, compared to 28 percent of Republicans.

Most poll respondents, 54 percent, said recent immigrants to the country have held on to their previous cultures rather than adapting to an American culture.

Sixty percent of respondents said diversity strengthens the country, up from 53 percent last year. This includes about three-quarters of Democrats and about half of Republicans.

Support for legal immigration has increased from 29 percent in August 2018 to 35 percent in Monday’s survey.

Immigration has remained a central topic during President Trump’s administration, with Trump restricting immigrant access to the U.S. and advocated for the building of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. The administration last month announced a historically low cap of 18,000 refugees allowed in the country for fiscal 2020.

The poll surveyed 1,286 adults between Sept. 20 and Sept. 23 and has a margin of error of 3.8 percentage points.