The “Other” through the eyes of the host: a discourse analysis of American and German YouTube users’ reactions to migration and immigrant issues

Abstract Migration simultaneously addresses labor shortages and fuels perceptions of social threat, often framed negatively in political and public discourse. This study examines the reactions of American and German YouTube users to issues of migration and immigration by focusing on user comments through thematic and discourse analysis. The thematic analysis identified five dominant themes in both contexts: security concerns, economic impacts, cultural and identity issues, political blame or radicalization, and humanitarian perspectives. While American users emphasized border security, illegal migration, labor market competition, and leader-centered blame, German users focused on systemic crises, welfare debates, and radical political solutions. Discourse analysis revealed a polarized “us versus them” rhetoric in both countries. American comments frequently employed metaphors of illegality, invasion, and economic burden, often tied to partisan blame and leader references (e.g., Trump, Biden). German discourse more strongly associated migration with terrorism, crime, and loss of state control, often echoing far-right rhetoric and showing higher prevalence of hate speech. Overall, while both societies share concerns over security, economy, and identity, their discursive constructions differ. The U.S. discourse frames migration as an immediate and partisan issue, whereas German discourse positions it as a systemic crisis and cultural conflict. These findings highlight how digital public spheres reproduce national anxieties, shaping migration debates as struggles over identity, sovereignty, and social order.