By: Angela Cruz, Cristina Rivas, Genesis Gaitan, Guadalupe Ruelas
Professor Evans-Zepeda
On March 29th, we had the opportunity to speak to Professor Evans-Zepeda, an associate professor in the Human Communications department at Cal State Fullerton. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Cal State LA as a communications studies major. She received her Ph.D. at the University of New Mexico, where her focus was intercultural communication and rhetoric. She wrote her dissertation on the undocumented immigrant youth movement. Professor Evans-Zepeda found interest in the activism being done by youth groups and how they were affected by the immigration laws that barred them from having citizenship, no matter how long they lived in the country.
Q: What inspired you to research misinformation and stereotypes regarding immigration?
The reason Professor Evans-Zepeda was inspired to research misinformation and stereotypes regarding immigration was because she mentioned that it was a very personal thing to her and her family. Professor Evans-Zepeda and her family migrated from central Mexico when she was about six years old, and even as a child, she noticed a very explicit anti-immigrant sentiment. While growing up, she realized that there was a connection between the kind of words that were heralded towards her and her family, words that were dehumanizing and very inaccurate. That made her want to do a deep dive and make sure that she understood the why, how, and most importantly, the how to make a change so that it didn’t continue to be the experience of other people who are also migrating. She stated that she didn’t want others to feel rejected because their intention of coming here was to bring the best that they could to this country.
Q: How did you conduct your research?
Professor Evans-Zepeda would call herself a qualitative critical scholar, meaning she does not necessarily depend on quantitative research, which is more based on data. Still, she was interested in the personal stories of people who were related to her interests and who could relate to her story. She has done in-depth interviews to give people who are reading her work a detailed snapshot of what their experience has been like. She has also done other research focusing on her own life and experiences when writing. She also includes content analysis, known as rhetoric analysis (media analysis), which means that what she is interested in is looking for cultural practices; this type of research includes looking at the text and artifacts that can be media-related, and it helps her ask questions and conclude with this analysis what can we take from the media text and make better sense on the question she develops through her process.
Q: What was your most important factor when conducting research (ex., interviews, reading, surveys, etc.)?
When conducting her research, Professor Evans-Zepeda emphasized that every research step should be intentional and vigorous. She believes starting with a concrete research question is a substantial base to filter the research you seek and what scholars to reach out to. As a qualitative critical researcher, Professor Evans-Zepeda remains aware that she is not a completely objective researcher. Her personality and personal opinions will affect how she engages in her research; with this in mind, she strives to be ethical in her interview approach and the channels she uses for her study.
Q: Do you feel that through your research, you were able to figure out why media outlets spread misinformation?
Professor Evans-Zepeda has spent a long time researching this question; she started in 2006 and tried to find an answer to understand the truth about media outlets better. She stated “yes and no” that she believes media outlets spread misinformation, saying that media outlets can be co-creating the type of research she is doing. Although Professor Evans-Zepeda doesn’t have a congregate answer, she did say that her research and the research she has taken from other scholars with the same interest in this topic have been beneficial in debunking a lot of the myths that do exist about immigrants and the various false information and issues such as “what it takes to be an illegal immigrant” and saying such as “get back in line” and the type of example the media gives to explain why it’s a complicated process. Other myths she brought up that she has seen include what kind of economic assistance immigrants bring to the United States or the many misconceptions such as having to fund the lives of immigrants. According to Professor Evans-Zepeda, that data shows how inaccurate those statements are. She has tried to show others and educate others that many of the numbers and statistics that have been used regarding immigration contribution have been put in the wrong context and are very explicit about immigrants being a very wonderful contribution and necessary element of the United States.
Q: In your opinion, what is the best way to combat the distribution of misinformation?
Professor Evans-Zepeda shared that we need to return to reputable, credible, academic, peer-reviewed scholarships because of their high level of academic work, which has gone through many procedures to ensure validity. She also recommended looking at sources. She mentioned that when looking at where misinformation comes from, sources often have slanted political views and an agenda of what narrative to push. She advised bringing forward independent and non-profit venues where they take a more critical lens and give a more holistic understanding of specific topics. Additionally, she emphasized being committed to telling stories that mainstream media and society often overlook through counter-storytelling. Counter-storytelling is vital because it gives the audience an idea of what reality is for folks being affected beyond superficial narratives, which can be very harmful as they push stereotypes and assumptions that are not true.
Q: Why do you believe that it is important to not spread false information regarding immigration?
Professor Evans-Zepeda believes it is essential to avoid spreading false information because it has many material consequences. The example she used is the Trump election, in which American citizens saw a significant uptake of anti-immigrant rhetoric being pushed forward. She also highlighted that the hate speech during this time led to violence, and she described it as a very scary thing to witness. She said it was scary that there was this wrong narrative and an amorphous abstract way it impacted Americans. She mentioned the real impact of things such as the border separation and the way children have been affected. She added that this is not just the case for immigrants, but that whenever there is misinformation or false information, and people act in accordance with wrong information, it affects policies and viewpoints and shapes who we are as a nation. She argued that Americans do not want to be a nation that is rooted in nativism, xenophobia, and problematic values since that is not concurrent with what the ideals of the U.S. are supposed to be, which are equality and freedom.
Q: Do you believe that as a professor it is important to make sure you are teaching your students factual information, rather than relying on what is written by media outlets; if so why?
Professor Evans-Zepeda assigns research papers in her classes for more purposes than teaching students how to write papers of that caliber. She focuses on teaching her students how to find credible sources. Professor Evans-Zepeda believes the procedure of understanding what is good data is a vital skill beyond simply writing a research paper. It is essential to question what sources information is being taken from. People should question who is writing the “research” they are reading. What are that person’s interests and agenda, how are they looking for the information to be perceived, and why is it important that the information is accessible and public? Professor Evans-Zepeda encourages her students to utilize university resources and approach research with an open mind.
The Society for Communications Research 