Latino voice and politics: How Spanish accent affects first-generation Latinos' evaluations of political candidates.

Abstract

This thesis examines how Spanish-accented English influences political candidate evaluations among first-generation Latino voters in the United States. Drawing from Ethnolinguistic Identity Theory, this experimental study exposed participants (N = 605) to audio recordings of fictional political candidates speaking with either a Spanish accent or Standard American English. Results show that first-generation Latino voters rated Spanish-accented candidates significantly more likable than Standard American English accented candidates, particularly among liberal voters and those who perceive Spanish as having high ethnolinguistic vitality. However, Spanish-accented candidates were rated lower on competence and goodwill, and no difference emerged in trustworthiness, revealing a divide between affective and evaluative judgements. While political ideology and vitality perceptions moderated the accent effect, self-perceived ethnic identity strength did not. These findings underscore the nuanced role of linguistic cues in political communication and highlight how accent functions as a cultural signal than can shape voter impressions in both expected and unexpected ways.