Seeing Spanish: The Effects of Language-Based Media Choices on Resentment and Belonging

Abstract

ABSTRACT Does seeing Spanish-language news in the media change the racial and political attitudes of Whites and Spanish-speaking Latinos? We examine the effects of Spanish-language media on White and Spanish-speaking Latino attitudes using online survey experiments in English and Spanish, respectively. We expect White Americans to react to Spanish-language media options by developing more hostile attitudes toward Hispanics, and Spanish-speaking Latino audiences to feel a greater sense of belonging in America when they see Spanish represented in the media. We find that seeing articles about non-immigration politics in Spanish, as an option next to English articles, significantly raises racial resentment toward Hispanics among Whites. Among Spanish-speaking Latinos, seeing a political news article option in Spanish increases feelings of inclusion and belonging, even when it is not about a racialized issue like immigration. Such evidence suggests that language alone may prime identity and shape political attitudes for White and Spanish-speaking Latino voters.