Are people who don’t know migrants more adverse to migration?

In my experience in the United States, yes. Without the humanizing infuence of actually knowing someone who is migrant, many people rely on demonizing portrayals from the media. These portrayals are often dangerous, unjust, and mostly, untrue. Many media outlets rely on misleading crime statistics and isolated stories of migrant violence to promote fear, anger, and hostility in viewers who do not know any better. However, knowing a migrant personally seems to provide a view that is contrary to media portrayals. When migrants are viewed as humans who are also just trying to make their way in the world, instead of criminals or job thiefs, many people are more willing to accept migrants as part of their populations.