Degree Name
Master of Arts
Graduate Program
Speech Communication
Advisor
Nilanjana Bardhan
Abstract
The dominant representations of Latinx immigrants in the U.S. media do a disservice to the humanity of this group and overwhelmingly depict them in negative ways. This paper is an effort to counter these narratives and humanize the experiences of Latina immigrants. Specifically, it explores and analyzes four personal narratives from Latina women who migrated to the United States between 1950-1970s. The methodological approach in this report is qualitative and interpretive analysis, using open and axial coding. The author discusses how identities are constructed and shaped by the experiences of immigration, and connects it to extant research on power, coloniality, race, and intercultural communication.