The Future of Latines’ Racial Categorization and Sociopolitical Attitudes Amid Rising US Diversity

Latines have become one of the largest ethnic groups in the United States. Given the historical fluidity of whiteness in the US and the Latine group’s uniquely ambiguous racial status, it is unclear how this group will be hierarchically and politically positioned in the future. Across three studies (total N = 1,754 Latines), we investigated how exposure to information about the possible inclusion of Latine Americans in the White racial category changes Latines’ beliefs about their group’s future racial status and their subsequent sociopolitical attitudes. Participants who read about the Latine group’s likely inclusion in (vs. continued exclusion from) the White category more strongly believed Latines would soon be considered White (Studies 1–3) and reported increased symbolic racism and political conservatism (Studies 2 and 3). Our results demonstrate the malleability of Latines’ racial categorization beliefs and suggest that White racialization might lead Latines to adopt sociopolitical views typically associated with dominant groups.