ABSTRACT
The United States has had a conflicted approach toward immigration since its inception. As a nation of immigrants, it has alternatively welcomed and repelled immigrant groups. Thirty percent of the American population is from minority groups. But Bill 109 in Arizona, aimed at illegal immigrants, is seen by many Hispanic groups as racial profiling. And Muslim Americans felt targeted in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Many Muslims believe that they have been singled out for discrimination because ‘mainstream’ white Christians fear them. We argue that this view is misplaced. The roots of favorability of Muslims are the same as attitudes toward other outgroups, ‘the Band of Others’. Membership of this band determines mainstream Americans’ attitudes toward them, rather than the terrorist attacks or political orientations. The Band of Others shapes people’s attitudes toward minorities and its effects are persistent over time.
