It's called "Feindbild" or "Enemy image" and it's one of propagandas greatest tools. In the 80's it was the cold war then the war on drugs, then the war on terrorism now it's the war on illegal migrants. Old playbook, new Feindbild, same old game.
Discussion
Yes, every group of migrants was 'the new kid on the block' and were treated very poorly by the more established 'Americans' . A tale as old as time. Even ai, some groups thrived; some did not.
A great book by Thomas Sowell, "Civil Rights: Rhetoric or Reality?" touches on this a bit. Short, but a well-researched great read.