Immigrants: Is to Know them To Love Them?

Interesting addendum to Matthew Feeney's observations and thoughts on Switzerland's anti-immigration referendum from earlier today, via Bryan Caplan:

Swiss anti-immigration voting was highest in the places with the least immigrants!  This is no fluke.  In the U.S., anti-immigration sentiment is highest in the states with the least immigration - even if you assume that 100% of immigrants are pro-immigration.

…..The main hurdle to further immigration is insufficient immigration.  If countries could just get over the hump of status quo bias, anti-immigration attitudes would become as socially unacceptable as domestic racism…

Reason's 2006 classic package on immigration.