New Books Network Leo R. Chavez, "The Latino Threat: How Alarmist Rhetoric Misrepresents Immigrants, Citizens, and the Nation" (Stanford UP, 2025)
Dec 20, 2025
Leo R. Chavez, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at UC Irvine, delves into the myths surrounding Latino immigrants and citizens. He critiques the pervasive 'Latino threat' narrative, particularly in the context of political rhetoric during the Trump era. Chavez shares insights from his updated book, exploring the psychological effects of negative rhetoric and the normalization of replacement theories. He emphasizes the implications of scapegoating in policies and everyday lives, urging listeners to reflect on the societal values we wish to uphold.
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Longstanding New Mexican Roots
- Leo R. Chavez describes being 13th generation New Mexican and moving to California as a child.
- His family history shaped his skepticism of rhetoric telling Latinos to 'go home' and motivated his research on misrepresentation.
Trump Amplified Old Tropes Into Power
- Chavez revised The Latino Threat because Trump amplified long-standing tropes into mainstream political rhetoric.
- He reframed the book to analyze rhetoric and how it persuades despite weak empirical support.
Laboratory Test Shows Rhetoric Hurts Health
- Chavez describes running a lab experiment showing negative rhetoric raises stress in Mexican-origin students.
- The study found positive rhetoric lowered stress and increased subjective well-being.