ArticlesDigital Inequality on the us-Mexico Border: A Multigenerational Case Study in Laredo, Texas Brecha digital en la frontera de ee. uu.-México: Un estudio de caso multigeneracional en Laredo, Texas AbstractThe purpose of the present study is to determine the cultural and social barriers that are preventing Laredoans from accessing the digital world. This multigenerational study examines how three generations within 16 families relate culturally and socially to technology. Three members from the same family were invited to voluntarily participate in the study, with a total of 48 in-depth, face-to-face interviews being conducted. The present study identified several barriers such as low educational level, low income, lack of English language proficiency, lack of relevant content available in other languages besides English, preference to communicate face-to-face, fear of violence, and endless working hours. Laredo is the least connected city in the nation with 40.2% non-connectivity rate. Research is needed to understand this digital inequity situation in this borderland city. The theoretical framework used is rooted on Straubhaar's concepts of techno-field, techno-disposition, and techno-capital.Keywords: digital divide, Laredo Texas, us-Mexico border, multigenerational study. ResumenEl objetivo del presente estudio es determinar las barreras culturales y sociales que están impidiendo a los habitantes de Laredo el acceso al mundo digital. Este estudio multigeneracional examina cómo tres generaciones de 16 familias se relacionan culturalmente y socialmente con la tecnología. Tres miembros de la misma familia fueron invitados a participar voluntariamente en este estudio sumando un total de 48 entrevistas en profundidad. En este estudio se identificaron varias barreras tales como la escasa educación, ingresos económicos limitados, insuficiencia en el dominio del idioma inglés, escasez de contenidos relevantes en otro idioma que no sea inglés, preferencia por la comunicación en persona (cara a cara), miedo a la violencia, y horarios de trabajo interminables. Laredo, con 40.2% de brecha digital, es la ciudad con menor conectividad digital en la nación. Es necesario desarrollar proyectos de investigación para entender la desconexión digital en esta ciudad fronteriza. La teoría utilizada en este estudio está basada en los conceptos de tecno-campo, tecno-disposición y tecno-capital desarrollados por Straubhaar y su equipo de investigación.Palabras clave: brecha digital, Laredo Texas, Frontera ee. uu.-México, estudio multigeneracional.

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In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared a global health crisis from a viral disease known as COVID-19 caused by a coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2. The world population went into a mandatory lockdown and obligatory use of face masks to prevent the virus from spreading. Within this epidemiological context, in late August 2020, on the first day of the general election campaign period, the United States had reached about 6 million cases of COVID-19 and approximately 190K deaths, according to its Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Against all expectations, voter turnout to elect the 46th President set a civic participation record that had not been observed in over 100 years. The aim of this study is to examine the journalistic information disseminated by U.S. Spanish-language television media to Latino voters which motivated them to get out to vote. The theoretical foundation is Agenda-Setting theory focusing on the intermedia agenda-setting effect between Telemundo and Univision by measuring the level of salience emerging from their own news agendas.

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In New York City, on June 16, 2015, Donald J. Trump announced his candidacy for president of the United States. During his speech, he stated, among other things, that Mexico is no friend of the US because it is economically killing the US. At the border, Mexicans are bringing drugs, are bringing crime, they are rapists, and Mexicans have a lot of problems that they are bringing with them to the US. Also, Trump stated that Mexico is taking America’s jobs. Trump finished his talk by saying that he will build a wall on the southern border and Mexico will pay for it. From this moment on, the US-Mexico border region became the news epicenter in the nation, making the national news agenda daily throughout the 2016 presidential campaign. This paper examines Trump’s candidate-generated messages as part of his political communication strategy. The present investigation content analyzed Trump’s official website, his first 100 days contract, his political ads, and his tweets to identify Trump’s border agenda. Outcomes show that, overall, Trump presented a total of 16 issues, six of which were related to the border. The six issues were economy, foreign policy, immigration, regulations, taxes, and trade. Each of the issues were content analyzed to determine their particular issue positions regarding the border. Results documented that 27 issue positions were related to the border, two positions coming from the economy, five from foreign policy, eleven from immigration, two from regulations, four from taxes, and three from trade. Therefore, the most important issue related to the border was immigration. Its topmost recurrent issue positions were to build a wall on the border with Mexico that Mexico will pay for, to secure our borders, to stop immigrants, to stop drugs, to stop money, and to end illegal immigration to keep America safe. Overall, Trump’s most effective political communication venues to disseminate his US-Mexico border agenda to American voters was Trump’s Tweeter account and his First 100 Days Contract.