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Abstract
There is a dearth of literature regarding the psychological impact of oppressive sociocultural structures and attitudes related to immigration on various racial and ethnic groups, especially for Latinx individuals and communities. The current research investigated how peoples perceptions of and exposure to immigration policy and media depictions affect perceived stress, self-efficacy, and beliefs of meritocracy. Participants were recruited from a student research pool in a Southeastern College of Education at a public university and, because Latinx are frequently targeted in immigration policy and messages, a nationwide sample was also recruited. A multivariate linear regression model was implemented to explore the relationship between the different variables. The findings show that the participants who reported more exposure to hostile media depictions about immigrants experienced higher levels of stress and fewer merit-based beliefs. Participants who demonstrated increased emotional reactivity to restrictive immigration policies also showed increased stress levels and less merit-based beliefs. The findings have implications for mental health providers and political actors who work with Latinx clients as well as for educations who train future instructors. Ultimately, the findings underscore the importance of the role of psychologists in not only serving individuals, but also in challenging system inequities and training future educators to incorporate a social justice paradigm into teaching preparation programs.