My book-style dissertation examines how transnational ties shape the information environments, political attitudes, and political behavior of Latinos in the United States. Drawing on original surveys, in-depth interviews, and social media data, the project explores how cross-border social networks influence exposure to political information and misinformation. The findings suggest that Latinos with sustained transnational ties encounter distinct information environments that shape political attitudes and behavior.
Dissertation project. Full manuscript not currently available.
My job market paper investigates how transnational ties and social media exposure contribute to Latino belief in political misinformation and support for Donald Trump. The paper tests my original theory of transnational information environments using original survey data. The findings suggest that Latinos who maintain regular contact with people outside the United States are more likely to encounter political misinformation. Among frequent social media users, greater exposure is associated with higher levels of misinformation belief. In turn, misinformation belief is associated with stronger support for Trump and a greater likelihood of reporting a vote for him in 2020 and 2024.
My co-authored work with fellow graduate students Mario Villegas and Franshelly Martinez-Ortiz, and Professor Nicholas Valentino, examines predictors of the Latino vote shift during the Trump era. Using American National Election Study panel data from 2016 to 2024, we find that Latinos shifted toward Trump more than any other group. Our analyses suggest that the growing salience of transgender rights played an important role in explaining this shift..
Originally developed as a graduate student collaboration with Hilary Izatt, now Assistant Professor at SUNY Binghamton, and Zoe C. Walker, now Assistant Professor at the University of Rochester, this project examines how rhetoric about racial discrimination and white privilege shapes political mobilization among white Americans. Using two survey experiments and analyses of open-ended responses, we find that white respondents become angrier and more willing to participate politically when presented with information attributing employment disparities to structural racism.
I developed an original coding framework for classifying and visualizing open-ended responses to race-related questions. The protocol uses large language models to measure three dimensions of racial discourse: attribution, whether respondents view racial inequality as structural or individual in origin; color-blindness, whether respondents recognize the role of race in shaping outcomes; and explicitness, whether discussions of race and racism are expressed directly or indirectly. The framework provides a scalable approach for analyzing large volumes of open-ended survey responses.
This project, coauthored with Franshelly Martinez-Ortiz, examines whether bilingual Latinos evaluate political messages differently depending on the language in which they are presented. Using an original survey experiment, we randomly vary message language while holding all other content constant. The project tests whether messages presented in a respondent’s primary language are perceived as more credible and persuasive.
Coauthored with Nicholas Valentino and Hilary Izatt, this project examines how perceptions of democratic threat shape political emotions and participation during the 2024 presidential election. Using original survey experiments, we investigate how messages about election integrity, democratic norms, and partisan conflict influence anger, fear, and willingness to engage in political action.
Coauthored with Sunshine Hillygus and Nicholas Valentino, this project examines whether racial labels influence how respondents interpret and answer survey questions. The study explores how different ways of describing racial and ethnic groups affect political attitudes, perceptions, and reported preferences.
Coauthored with Mark Tessler and Amnon Cavari, this project examines the relationship between conspiratorial thinking and prejudice toward religious and racial minority groups in the United States. The study investigates whether individuals who are more prone to conspiracy beliefs are also more likely to express anti-Semitic, Islamophobic, and anti-Black attitudes.