Comunidad in an Unfamiliar Place: Navigational Strategies of Latinx Students at a Predominantly-white Institution
Faculty Mentor Information
Dr. Rosaura Conley-Estrada
Abstract
The transition from high school to college is challenging for many students. Given individual starting points, the transition to college may be more tumultuous for Latinx students. This qualitative study examines the racialized and gendered experiences of Latinx students at a predominantly-white, public university in the Pacific Northwest. Further, it seeks to uncover different ways Latinx students exert self-agency. Racial Formation Theory (RFT) is utilized as a theoretical framework and the concept of a Diversity Racial Orthodoxy (DRO), which suggests that universities champion diversity for its instrumental benefits rather than explicitly supporting the comprehensive integration of students of color. Specifically, this research aims to understand Latinx students’ conceptions of the DRO at their university as well as how that affects their identity development and their ability to persist in higher education. With this in mind, the following questions are posed: (1) what types of microaggressions do Latinx students experience? (2) what types of navigational strategies do Latinx students employ in response? and 3) how do different navigational strategies influence identity development and sense of belonging? This research is pertinent to understanding how to better support the burgeoning, self-determined, Latinx student population chiseling out a space for themselves in higher education.
Comunidad in an Unfamiliar Place: Navigational Strategies of Latinx Students at a Predominantly-white Institution
The transition from high school to college is challenging for many students. Given individual starting points, the transition to college may be more tumultuous for Latinx students. This qualitative study examines the racialized and gendered experiences of Latinx students at a predominantly-white, public university in the Pacific Northwest. Further, it seeks to uncover different ways Latinx students exert self-agency. Racial Formation Theory (RFT) is utilized as a theoretical framework and the concept of a Diversity Racial Orthodoxy (DRO), which suggests that universities champion diversity for its instrumental benefits rather than explicitly supporting the comprehensive integration of students of color. Specifically, this research aims to understand Latinx students’ conceptions of the DRO at their university as well as how that affects their identity development and their ability to persist in higher education. With this in mind, the following questions are posed: (1) what types of microaggressions do Latinx students experience? (2) what types of navigational strategies do Latinx students employ in response? and 3) how do different navigational strategies influence identity development and sense of belonging? This research is pertinent to understanding how to better support the burgeoning, self-determined, Latinx student population chiseling out a space for themselves in higher education.