“Divide, Divert, & Conquer” Deconstructing the Presidential Framing of White Supremacy in the COVID-19 Era

Mental Health and COVID-19 Pandemic Stressors Among Latina/o/x College Students with Varying Self and Parental Immigration Status

The COVID-19 pandemic has produced significant psychological distress for college students due to the sudden proliferation of stressors. We examine whether and how self and parental immigration status contributes to Latina/o/x college students' mental health and pandemic stressors during the initial months of the pandemic. We draw on quantitative and qualitative survey data collected in March-June 2020 with 1,600 Latina/o/x University of California undergraduate students from three self-identified groups: undocumented students, US citizens with at least one undocumented parent, and US citizens with lawfully present parents. Quantitative analyses reveal that the pandemic produced widespread negative mental health effects but the severity of these effects did not differ by self/parental immigration status. Our qualitative analyses identify common pandemic-related stressors across our three student groups (financial insecurity, COVID-19 virus concerns, academic strains, and social dynamics); however, undocumented students and US citizens with undocumented parents identify unique aspects of these stressors due to legal vulnerabilities. Self and parental undocumented status also compromises the ability to manage common pandemic stressors because of immigration status-related exclusion from necessary resources. Ultimately, we argue that the high-stress nature of the pandemic elevated mental distress across all student groups, but the structural exclusion of undocumented immigrants contributes to unique experiences of stress among Latina/o/x undocumented students and US citizen students with undocumented parents.

SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination Hesitancy and Behaviors in a National Sample of People Living with HIV

As COVID-19 vaccinations became available in early 2021, we collected data from a US national sample of 496 people living with HIV (PLWH) to assess COVID-19 vaccination uptake and attitudes. The study was cross-sectional, and data were collected using an online survey between March and May 2021. At the time, 64% of the participants received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccine uptake was associated with older age and more years living with HIV, higher educational attainment, less vaccine hesitancy, and higher perceived COVID-19 vulnerability. Rates of vaccination uptake were highest among sexual and gender minority (SGM) cisgender men and transgender participants as well as those more likely to report undetectable viral load. Among the 166 unvaccinated, intention to receive the vaccine was related to older age and years living with HIV as well as lower vaccine hesitancy. Among the unvaccinated, SGM individuals demonstrated higher intent than non-SGM individuals. Findings indicate relatively high levels of vaccination in PLWH, although uptake and intent are not monolithic in the population. Patterns of vaccination are consistent with the health behavior literature in so much as those with higher levels of perceived heath vulnerability due to age as well as higher levels of proactivity about their HIV health are more likely to be vaccinated or intend to be vaccinated. Ongoing vigilance is required to vaccinate the US population, particularly those with underlying conditions such as HIV, as is the need to tailor health messaging to the highly diverse population of PLWH, with particular emphasis on the intersection of HIV and SGM status.

Framing Studies Evolution in the Social Media Era. Digital Advancement and Reorientation of the Research Agenda

Framing studies remain a powerful line of research in political communication. However, in recent years, coinciding with the emergence of social media, theoretical and operational advances have been detected, as well as a significant reorientation of its research agenda. The interaction between media and platforms such as Twitter or Facebook has built a clearly hybrid communicative environment and profoundly transformed the organization of public debate. This is the case, especially, with processes such as the setting of the public agenda or the construction of interpretive frames. Based on a systematic review of the international reference literature (2011–2021), this article analyses the influence of social media on the evolution of framing studies. Moreover, specifically, the beginning of a new stage of digital development is contextualized, and a triple research impact is explored. The main contributions of the text are that it (1) identifies advances in the theoretical and empirical organization of these studies; (2) explores its reorientation of content towards a greater balance between the analysis of media and political frames; and (3) reviews the recent experimental development of effects studies. Finally, the main challenges for future research in this field are detailed.

Double Consciousness in the 21st Century: Du Boisian Theory and the Problem of Racialized Legal Status

In W.E.B. Du Bois’ Souls of Black Folk, he argued that the problem of the 20th century in the United States was the problem of the color line. Given that de facto and explicit racial discrimination persist, anti-immigrant rhetoric is intensifying, and legal status has become more salient, we argue Du Boisian theory remains relevant for understanding social and political cleavages in the 21st century United States. The intersection of race, ethnicity, and legal status or “racialized legal status” represents a new variation of Du Bois’ “color line,” due to how these statuses generate cumulative disadvantages and exclusion for citizens and immigrants of color, particularly the undocumented. We begin with a review of Du Bois’ double consciousness theory, highlighting the marginalization of African Americans. Next, we apply double consciousness to the 21st century U.S. context to empirically demonstrate parallels between 20th century African Americans and the marginalization faced today by people of color. We close with a discussion about how double consciousness enhances our understanding of citizenship and has also generated agency for people of color fighting for socio-political inclusion in the contemporary United States.