Centering Central American Students in Higher Education Research

Abstract

In this chapter, we consider how Central Americans should be included in a larger pan-ethnic Latin* context and higher education. This chapter provides a landscape review of the current literature on retention and persistence of Central Americans in higher education. Using the literature that currently exists on Central Americans in higher education, we argue for a Central American Student Self-Report (CASSR) and discuss the measures that should be used to develop instruments to further understand their persistence in higher education and assess interventions for Central American student success. We ask how the story of Central Americans should be included in a larger pan-ethnic Latin* context and, even more broadly, in the story of the United States. Lastly, using a QuantCrit approach, the authors explore how primary data can be used to inform higher education practices and policies focused on Central American students.