A new report released today by the Pew Hispanic Center shows that America is split on the topic of immigration:

…the public remains largely divided in its views of the overall effect of immigration. Roughly as many believe that newcomers to the U.S. strengthen American society as say they threaten traditional American values, and over the longer term, positive views of Latin American immigrants, in particular, have improved dramatically.

Reflecting this ambivalence, the public is split over many of the policy proposals aimed at dealing with the estimated 11.5 million-12 million unauthorized migrants in the U.S. Overall, 53% say people who are in the U.S. illegally should be required to go home, while 40% say they should be granted some kind of legal status that allows them to stay here.

If America is ambivalent, we are certainly seeing more one side than another in the media these days.

The Pew Report is comprehensive, posing real and honest questions related to the concept that Americans have of immigrants today. One of the data points show that Latinos are viewed more positively than they were over 10 years ago:

Download the full report at the Pew website

Related: Former Reagan Civil Rights Commission director Linda Chavez believes that instead of protesting, immigrants should “trade their ancestral flags for the Stars and Stripes.” (NYT, registration required)

Via / Pew Hispanic Center