Latino Intergenerational Communication and Attitudes Regarding Climate Change

Heightened environmental concerns of Latinx communities have been identified by various surveys, contradicting a common misconception that marginalized communities are disinterested in environmental issues. Using the state of Texas as a case study, Mexican-American climate perceptions are analyzed through semi-structured interviews with twenty individuals in Spanish and English. The themes of generation, acculturation, familism, and household finances are found to be prevalent in this segment of Latinx respondents, as ways of articulating perspectives related to climate change. We show how these topics emerge in response to standard questions about climate change, indicating a distinct climate change discourse. This leads to suggestions of specific interventions in how scholars and policy-makers can engage with Latinx climate discourse.

多项调查均证实，拉丁裔（Latinx）社区的环境关切情绪日益高涨，这与一种广为流传的误区相悖——该误区认为边缘化群体对环境议题漠不关心。本研究以得克萨斯州（Texas）为案例研究对象，通过对20名受访者分别以西班牙语和英语开展半结构化访谈，分析了墨西哥裔美国人的气候认知。研究发现，代际差异、文化适应、家庭主义与家庭财务状况这几大主题，在本次受访的拉丁裔群体中十分突出，它们是受访者阐述气候变化相关观点的重要维度。本研究阐明了这些主题如何在针对气候变化的标准化访谈问题中显现，表明该群体拥有独特的气候变化话语体系。基于上述发现，本研究为学者与政策制定者如何更好地对接拉丁裔群体的气候变化话语，提供了具体的干预方向建议。