We hear from Yue Zhang, who describes her recent co-authored article with Surinderpal Kaur in the Journal of Language and Politics. The paper is entitled: Moral panic and (in)security: Hispanic and Latinx immigrants in the shadow of Trump and right-wing populism. Here, we find out more about what prompted this research, key findings and what's to come.

Photo by Joseph Chan on Unsplash

the deployment of moral panic generates public fear and insecurity, legitimizing anti-immigrant sentiments and justifying stringent measures. This, in turn, reinforces right-wing populism narratives with significant societal implications.
Why did you decide to write this piece?
The initial draft of this article actually started as my undergraduate final year project back in 2021. At the time, Donald Trump was still a prominent figure, and his presidency had become a research hotspot, especially in terms of his controversial policies and discourse. Choosing Trump as a research subject wasn’t particularly surprising, but I wanted to focus on something deeper. What stood out to me was his stance on Hispanic and Latinx immigrants, which coincided with my own academic experiences.
As part of my undergraduate studies, I took Spanish as a compulsory third language. Through learning this language, I developed a deeper understanding of Hispanic and Latinx communities, which made me more aware of the issues they faced, especially during the Trump administration. Trump’s rhetoric and policies toward these communities raised significant concerns that I felt compelled to explore further. By choosing this topic, I could not only engage with timely political discussions but also connect my linguistic studies to real-world social issues.
What was particularly unexpected, however, was Trump's resurgence this year. The fact that he remains a potent political force even now has only made the implications of this research more far-reaching. His influence on right-wing populism and its impact on immigration issues is still relevant and deserving of continued examination.
What are the key takeaways from your research?
For young researchers including me, I think one of the key points to highlight comes from Krzyżanowski and Forchtner's (2016) view: within the field of linguistics, especially where Critical Discourse Studies (CDS) originated, scholars often fail to see the need to integrate linguistic theory with broader social theories. This was a critical realization for me as I worked on this project. It’s essential to explore new ways of conceptualizing discourse within the context of larger social frameworks, which is why I decided to couple Corpus-Assisted Critical Discourse Analysis (CACDA) with moral panic theory in my article.
By doing this, I was able to demonstrate how the deployment of moral panic generates public fear and insecurity, legitimizing anti-immigrant sentiments and justifying stringent measures. This, in turn, reinforces right-wing populism narratives with significant societal implications.Â
On a broader scale, this study also highlights the importance of critically examining the global phenomenon of right-wing populism. We cannot afford to overlook this movement’s effects. If unchecked, the world risks turning into a "walled world," where exclusionary policies dominate. More scholars need to pay attention to this trend, offering deeper analysis and insights into its development and consequences.
Where do you plan to go next in your research?
Currently, I am pursuing my PhD, and while my research focus has shifted slightly, the construction of (in)security remains at the core of my enquiry. I am now exploring the intersection of (in)security and sports mega-events. These global events create unique discourses around security, nationalism, and identity, and I continue to employ Critical Discourse Studies (CDS) as a key understanding in my work. Through this lens, I aim to elaborate on how discourse shapes perceptions of security and influences political and social outcomes on the international stage.
In conclusion, my journey from undergraduate research to my current PhD work continues to be driven by a desire to understand the power of discourse in shaping social realities. The issues surrounding immigration and right-wing populism remain crucial, but I am excited to expand my analysis to other arenas where (in)security and discourse intersect.
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