The paper uses a cross-country dataset to investigate the determinants of individual attitudes towards immigration.  There are three main conclusions.  The first is that attitudes towards immigration are not a function of economic interests alone; rather, they also reflect nationalist sentiment...

Immigration barriers began being erected in the New World in the late 19th century. They were motivated by fears that the immigration of unskilled workers would increase inequality. Controlling for economic factors, there appears to have been little independent role for factorssuch as racism or...