Date of Defense

8-19-2014

Date of Graduation

8-2014

Department

Spanish

First Advisor

Patricia Montilla

Second Advisor

Ann Miles

Third Advisor

Jesse Smith

Keywords

Latino immigrants, immigrant terminology

Abstract

The language used towards Latino immigrants expressed in the online media is a prevalent occurrence that warrants a more detailed analysis. I used a total of fifty-four articles from Fox New, CNN, MSNBC, Southern Poverty Law Center, National Immigration Law Center, Immigration Advocates, Networks Liberty News, Minuteman Project, and American Immigration Control Council. I analyzed the wording used by each source when they referred to Latino immigrants. I analyzed my data further by distinguishing it into five categories: Affirmative language, negative language, avoidance language, the use of linguistic devices, and a category dedicated to the special circumstances around the recent influx of unaccompanied minors at the United States-Mexico border. Pro-immigration websites to use the most affirmative language and anti-immigration websites used the most negative language. Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC were fairly neutral in their representation of immigrants, which is the opposite of my original assumption and past research. With the rapidly changing time and internet capabilities, I found that immigrant terminology is often avoided and the immigration process is used as a proxy for immigrants. I also discovered that children were more likely to be involved in the avoidance of immigrant terminology than any other groups. My analysis only scratched the surface and has opened the door to numerous other research possibilities that can help us to understand this occurrence better.

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Open Access

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