Abstract

This is a thesis conducted qualitatively using the Grounded Theory approach where in-depth interviews were conducted with 12 legal Mexican Americans in order to understand how social media affect Mexican Americans' social identity. This effect was understood by discovering the relationships between social identity theory and integration. Results showed that Mexican Americans felt that social media helped them with their English skills and connected them to their friends and family in Mexico. Mexican Americans were able to use social media to connect to their in-group community, and Mexican American community leaders were able to connect Mexicans to their in-group within specific areas of the United States. Mexican Americans interviewed said they often felt disconnected from Americans who had spent their whole life in the United States. In regards to social media and disconnect, Mexican Americans felt that online news, especially news sites' comment boards, poorly represented their culture, often focusing on the negative more than the positive.

Degree

College and Department

Fine Arts and Communications; Communications

Rights

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