Controlling Images of Immigrants in the Mainstream and Black Press: The Discursive Power of the “Illegal Latino"

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-23-2020

Publication Title

Latino Studies

Volume

18

First page number:

581

Last page number:

602

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate controlling images of Latinx immigrants in the US press. Our paper expands theory within this literature in two new directions. First, we look at the controlling image of the “illegal” as well as the conventional con‐ trolling images of the immigrant described in the literature. Second, we investigate whether controlling images of Latinx immigrants remain prevalent outside of news‐ papers aimed at a predominantly White audience by comparing controlling images of immigrants in Atlanta’s mainstream press to the city’s Black press. We find that controlling images of immigrants are prevalent in the mainstream press but sel‐ dom appear in the Black news media. We also find that the “illegal” represents the predominant controlling image of immigrants in both. Few controlling images are explicitly gendered. We argue that the lack of gendering in the controlling images of immigrants may serve to dehumanize all immigrants, complicating and expanding extant research.

Keywords

Latinx; Immigration; Race; Media effects; Intersectionality

Disciplines

Latina/o Studies

Language

English

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