Attitudes and Behavioral Intentions toward Vietnamese in Australia

Abstract

Given the anti-Asian sentiment expressed in recent Australian Gallup polls, the present study sought to determine the dynamics of attitudes toward Vietnamese refugees. The respondents included 83 residents from Canberra and 56 residents from Toowoomba, Queensland. Results indicated that, for both samples, educational level and authoritarian attitudes were significantly related to negative racial attitudes and to negative racial behavior. For the Canberra sample, highly authoritarian behavior and high levels of conformity were significantly related to both negative racial attitudes and negative racial behavior. For the Toowoomba sample, only high levels of conformity were associated with negative racial attitudes, whereas perceived economic deprivation was related to negative racial behavior. We concluded that individual levels of authoritarianism may be the best single explanation of racial prejudice.