“American Tales of Heroes and Villains”: Donald Trump’s Framing of Latinos During COVID-19 Times

Abstract

Based on a qualitative analysis of Donald Trump’s speeches and public documents from 2020, this article examines the role of xenophobia in constructing oppositional divisions within Latino groups in the United States. Rather than pitting minority ethnic/racial groups against the White majority, xenophobia frames unauthorized populations against legal, albeit subordinated, ones. Five main Latino categories are identified in this study. First, the “illegal immigrant” is portrayed as the criminal border crosser that targets other Latinos—the latter embodied by the “Hispanic victim.” Next, is the “Hispanic border patrol” agent who safeguards the United States by actively detaining and expelling undocumented immigrants. Third, the “Hispanic supporter” is welcomed into the American Dream by ascribing to meritocratic values of hard work and family values. A final actor is represented by foreign allies (e.g., Mexico’s President) who crack down their own citizens to protect the United States border. Furthermore, this article discusses Trump’s xenophobic camouflage of race (and racism) by highlighting undocumented Latinos’ alleged immoral and criminal nature rather than their physical characteristics. Concomitant to this narrative is the conditional inclusion of a subset of Hispanics into the American dream. In the conclusions, the article compares the study findings with the results of the 2020 presidential election to shed light on the growth of Trump’s Latino base. This research piece ultimately provides a contribution to our understanding of the conceptual power of xenophobia in galvanizing divergent interests within racial and ethnic minorities, in this case Latinos in the United States.