Think most Americans are scared of the country becoming more diverse? Think again. A fascinating new study flips that common assumption on its head. It turns out, a solid majority of Americans – including groups often painted as the most resistant – actually *prefer* a future United States that's even more ethnically and racially mixed than it is right now.
Researchers surveyed nearly 1,000 people across the country, and the results, published in the journal *Ethos*, were pretty clear: **two-thirds** said they'd like to see a more diverse US. And get this – that includes a lot of White Christians, the very group you constantly hear about in the news worrying about being "replaced."
How small is the group that *doesn't* want diversity? Tiny. Only **1.1%** said they wanted an ethnically uniform America. Just **3.2%** wanted a religiously homogeneous one. That directly challenges the whole narrative that demographic change is causing some massive backlash among White folks.
We Think the Country is *Way* More Diverse Than It Actually Is
Here's where it gets really interesting. Before asking people what they *wanted*, the researchers, led by Séamus Power from the University of Copenhagen, asked them to guess the current makeup of the US. The results were eye-opening.
People thought White Americans made up only about **38%** of the population. The real number? Closer to **61%**. They also overestimated the size of nearly every minority group. For example, they guessed Black Americans were about **19%** (actual: 13%) and East Asians were about **8%** (actual: 4%).
So, people already *believed* the country was incredibly diverse. Yet, when asked to design their *ideal* America? They made it *even more* diverse! They allocated about **39.5%** to White Americans in their ideal scenario – slightly more than they thought existed now, but still representing a significantly more multicultural country than reality.
Even White Christians? Yep, Many Want More Diversity Too
This might be the most surprising part. White Christians are often singled out in political debates as the group most anxious about demographic shifts. But in this study, **66.3%** of White Christians actually envisioned an ideal America that was *more* racially and ethnically diverse than the 2020 baseline. That's lower than the 82.2% of non-White Christians who felt the same, but it's still a clear majority.
When it came to religion, half of White Christians also envisioned a country with *more* religious variety than we have now. People did show a slight preference for their own group (White respondents gave Whites about 10 percentage points more than others did, for instance), but nobody wanted total domination. Across the board, the "ideal" America included multiple groups.
The Extremists? They're a Tiny Fringe
While the overwhelming majority favored inclusion, a very small number did hold extreme views. That 1.1% who wanted a single-race nation broke down to nine people wanting an all-White country, and one each wanting all-Black or all-Native American.
Even though that's a tiny sliver of the sample, the researchers point out it could still represent hundreds of thousands of people nationwide. They caution that small, committed groups can have oversized influence, especially if they turn violent. But the big picture? America leans heavily towards wanting more diversity, not less.
What Does This Actually Mean?
This study makes you wonder how much the news shapes our perceptions. Events like the Charlottesville rally or the January 6th riot get massive coverage, making it seem like extremist views are everywhere. This research suggests they're not.
It also raises questions about politicians who stoke fears of "replacement." Are they speaking to a much smaller audience than we think? While those messages might fire up a dedicated base, they don't seem to reflect what most Americans actually want.
Now, there are some important caveats. The study asked about the country *as a whole*, not necessarily about people's own neighborhoods or daily lives. It's possible to support diversity nationally while preferring a more homogeneous environment close to home. The survey was also done in 2021, during peak political tension – views might shift over time.
But the core message is hopeful and surprising: Despite huge demographic changes (like immigrants coming from very different parts of the world than decades ago), most Americans across racial, religious, and political lines envision a future that's *more* diverse, not less. As the researchers cautiously put it, the idea of a multicultural America "may be as American as apple pie."