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A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 6 March 2017

AP-NORC Poll: Divided Americans fret country losing identity

MATT SEDENSKY pointed to diversity and lies, and ultimately, the
AP National Writer openness to refugees and country’s identity.
NEW YORK (AP) — Add one other immigrants as cen- “If you lose your identity,”
more to the list of things di- tral components of being Lawrence said, “What are
viding left and right in this American. we? We’re not a country
country: We can’t even “There’s so much turmoil in anymore.”
agree what it means to be the American political situ- Patrick Miller, a political sci-
an American. ation right now. People’s ence professor at the Uni-
A new survey from The As- ideas of what is America’s versity of Kansas who stud-
sociated Press-NORC Cen- place in the world are so ies partisanship and polling,
ter for Public Affairs Re- different from one end of said the results reflect long-
search finds Republicans the spectrum to the other,” standing differences in the
are far more likely to cite a Jones said. U.S. between one camp’s
culture grounded in Chris- There are some points of desire for openness and di-
tian beliefs and the tradi- resounding agreement versity and another’s vision
tions of early European im- Seen in the photo, a US flag refracted in water drops on a car among Democrats, Re- of the country grounded in
windshield in Gorham, Maine. The vast majority of Americans
migrants as essential to U.S. fear the country is losing its identity, but underlying that wide- publicans and indepen- the white, English-speak-
identity. spread agreement is equally deep disagreement over what dents about what makes ing, Protestant traditions of
Democrats are more apt it means to be an American. A new poll from The Associated up the country’s identity. its early settlers.Those fac-
to point to the country’s Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds the country Among them: a fair judicial tions have seen their com-
history of mixing of people is torn over what poses the greatest threat to the national way system and rule of law, the peting visions of American
from around the globe of life. (AP Photo/Carl D. Walsh) freedoms enshrined in the identity brought to a boil at
and a tradition of offering Constitution, and the abil- points throughout history,
refuge to the persecuted. 10 people — regardless of said Lynele Jones, a ity to get good jobs and such as when lawmakers
While there’s disagree- party — say the country is 65-year-old accountant achieve the American barred Chinese immigra-
ment on what makes up losing that identity. in Boulder, Colorado. Like dream.Big gulfs emerged tion beginning in the 1880s
the American identity, 7 in “It’s such stark divisions,” many Democrats, Jones between the left and right or when bias against Cath-
on other characteristics olic immigrants and their
seen as inherent to Amer- descendants bubbled up
ica.About 65 percent of through a long stretch of
Democrats said a mix of the 20th century.The stark-
global cultures was ex- ness of the divide and the
tremely or very important continuing questions over
to American identity, com- what it means to be Ameri-
pared with 35 percent of can are a natural byprod-
Republicans. Twenty-nine uct, Miller said, not just of
percent of Democrats saw U.S. history, but the current
Christianity as that impor- political climate and the
tant, compared with 57 rancor of today’s debates
percent of Republicans. over immigration and the
Democrats are far more welcoming of refugees.
likely than Republicans “Our sense of identity is
to say that the ability of almost inseparable from
people to come to escape the subject of immigration
violence and persecution because it’s how we were
is very important, 74 per- built,” he said. “Given what
cent to 55 percent. Also, 25 we are and how we’ve
percent of Democrats said come about, it’s a very
the culture of the country’s natural debate.”
early European immigrants The poll found Democrats
very important, versus 46 were nearly three times as
percent of Republicans. likely as Republicans to say
Reggie Lawrence, a that the U.S. should be a
44-year-old Republican in country made up of many
Midland, Texas, who runs a cultures and values that
business servicing oil fields, change as new people ar-
said the country and the rive, with far more Repub-
Constitution were shaped licans saying there should
by Christian values. As be an essential American
those slip away, he said, so culture that immigrants
does the structure of fami- adopt.q