BY-NC-SA A new survey from Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE) shows that Internet access and usage of "new media" is a key factor for political engagement by California Latinas. Those who have an e-mail address and Internet access are more likely to be informed about the news out of the Sacramento legislature than Latinas who remain offline. Latinas whose dominant language is English are much more likely to be connected to "new media" than Spanish dominant Latinas. Of the Latinas that are connected, a substantial number are either mothers who have children living at home or younger Latinas, ages 18-34.
The study's findings were presented this week at the Zero Divide Foundation, a Youth Radio funder. The study found that California Latinas are not text messaging as often as many people think. Only about one-third of Latina voters use their cell phone for text messaging. Also, usage of social networking sites like MySpace, Twitter, and Facebook remains low. Only six percent of Latinas that have Internet access reported visiting social networking sites on a daily basis. Young Latinas, ages 18-34, are among the Latinas most likely to access these sites.
Another key finding was that Latina voters trust their neighborhood and community leaders more than media personalities or elected officials. This was true across the board; Latinas of all ages and educational and economic classes looked to their communities for civic and political leadership.
Sergio Bendixen of Bendixen & Associates, the public opinion research firm that conducted the survey, talked about how the study reveals immense growth potential from a political perspective. Bendixen pointed out that 57 percent of Latina Democrats are still undecided about who they will vote for in the California governor race. Moreover, 95 percent of Latina Republicans remain undecided. Bendixen also said that because of the connection between the internet and political engagement, there could be great potential for a new comprehensive, sophisticated news website that targets California Latinas.
Helen Iris Torres, the Executive Director of HOPE, says that the study's findings point to ways young people can have a dramatic influence on the Latino community. Torres says that since the study shows that Latinas trust community members and that many Latinas are brought into the new media world through the influence of children, there is a responsibility for younger members of the Latino community to teach the older members what they know about new media.
Check out more of what Torres and Bendixen say in this video:
