A LatCrit Analysis of Latina Collegians’ Recollections of Racism in Educational Spaces

Abstract

ABSTRACT Often noted in educational scholarship is Latinx/a/o students’ experiences of racism that they encounter from peers, faculty, and staff within college contexts. Less discussed, however, are the persistent long-term effects of everyday, racist messages on Latinx/a/o students they received in PreK–12 years and how these forms of marginalization in turn affect how they navigate through college. Using a narrative methodological approach and Latino critical race theory as a framework, we centered the experiences of 12 Latina college students to investigate this question. Findings revealed how these Latinas’ experiences of racism in PreK–12 were shaped by interactions involving family, relying upon their mothers’ teachings in the process. However, when they transitioned to college, their understandings of racism as previously informed by their mothers evolved and became more complex. We then provide implications for practice.