Immigration is not the top issue for the over 60 million Hispanics in the United States, negatively impacted, like the rest of the population, with Bidenflation and rampant violent crime, as numerous polls confirm. But from what the public heard over a Telemundo report on the news intake habits of Latinos, the lack of interest on the subject is due to the ´anti-immigrant disinformation´ aimed at Hispanics to “change the way we vote, change the way we understand our community and the values we have”, to ultimately ´dehumanize´ immigrants.
The claim, made by United We Dream Action (UWDA)- the lobbying, advocacy and electoral arm of the progressive United We Dream PAC- in a public report titled Latinx Encounters with Immigration Stories in the US Media, was not only presented as a fact by Telemundo anchor Felicidad Aveleyra, but was endorsed with zero pushback or further questioning about the actual "disinformation".
FELICIDAD AVELEYRA: A new study on news intake habits reveals troubling trends among Hispanics, especially on the issue of immigration. The study by the organization United We Dream Action, concludes that Latinos over 36 are more exposed to anti-immigrant information
[…]
JUANITA MONSALVE: Really what this anti-immigrant movement is trying to do is change the way we vote, change the way we understand our community and the values we have. So when we consume this information, we consume lies, we consume false narratives that help push racist policies and dehumanize immigrants.
[…]
AVELEYRA: What you are saying is very important. This misinformation wants to make them unaware of the very power they have in this country
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And of not being empowered or realizing their dreams even in this country.
The exchange between Aveleyra and Juanita Monsalve, Creative and Marketing Director for UWDA, revealed the ulterior motives of the study, and they actually have little to do with the well-being of migrants. Rather, the goal is to control the narrative, the stories and the storytellers reaching Latinos, a strategy we see played-out on a daily basis in the Spanish-speaking media.
Remember the 10-year-old Nicaraguan boy called Wilto Eniel Gutiérrez, found alone and in tears by an off-duty Border Patrol and who the corporate press exploited for weeks over prime-time news to push their political narrative? Or the “whipping” hoax, now proven to be FAKE NEWS (God forbid any mention of the truth over the Latino air waves)?
Take a look at one of the UWDA report objectives that clearly pave the way for indoctrinating Latinos intrusively and forcibly, through seemingly innocent “storytelling” tactics in step with the Spanish-speaking corporate media:
This work will inform communication strategies for practitioners working in pro-immigration advocacy. By identifying real media that audiences engage with and the real opportunities that exist within them, from placement to messaging to influencers, we can tell more effective stories in the places that matter.
Help the MRC call out the blatant bias in the news at the Spanish-speaking networks. Follow this link
To view the full transcript of the segment mentioned above as aired by Noticias Telemundo Mediodía on April 18, 2022, please click Expand:
FELICIDAD AVELEYRA: A new study on news intake habits reveals troubling trends among Hispanics, especially on the issue of immigration. The study by the organization United We Dream Action, concludes that Latinos over 36 are more exposed to anti-immigrant information, while Hispanic men under 35 do not show interest in immigration issues. On the other hand, women between 18 and 35 years old are concerned about the issue of migration. To talk more about this topic, we welcome Juanita Monsalve, Creative and Marketing Director of United We Dream Action. Welcome Juanita, and first of all please tell us your reaction to the study.
JUANITA MONSALVE: Thank you very much. It's a pleasure to be with you and your viewers. For us at United We Dream Action it has been surprising, alarming and at the same time energizing. We have found that there is a huge content gap for Latino youth in terms of information about immigrants and with the immigrant experience. So we are very energized to take this topic and share with you.
AVALEYRA: But what do you mean? What does it mean to be exposed to anti-immigrant information?
MONSALVE: Well, look. Really the importance of this has a lot to do with the electorate itself. This analysis is very important because it contributes to us understanding the new Latinos who are becoming voters, who are constantly growing. Every 30 seconds a Latino person turns 18 and is eligible to vote. So, for us it's very important that we talk and understand how this information is affecting Latinos. Really what this anti-immigrant movement is trying to do is change the way we vote, change the way we understand our community and the values we have. So when we consume this information, we consume lies, we consume false narratives that help push racist policies and dehumanize immigrants. So that's why we have to be paying close attention to what we're consuming.
AVELEYRA: What you are saying is very important. This misinformation wants to make them unaware of the very power they have in this country, and despite the fact that there is some disinterest in immigration issues, women seem to be worried about it.
MONSALVE: Yes, and we also have to have the cultural content that we have created, and it is working with women. They are interested in the stories, in the immigrant experiences; and there are changes in young Latino males: they are not consuming this content, they are isolated in virtual worlds related to fantasy and video games. So we have to be thinking about this huge content gap and creating opportunities to communicate with our young Latinos because they are at risk of consuming anti-immigrant content constantly.
AVELEYRA: And of not being empowered or realizing their dreams even in this country. So to the women who watch us, help us inform the young people around you. And thanks for this information Juanita.
