ETHNIC IDENTITY AND SENSE OF SCHOOL BELONGINGNESS: BEHAVIORS AND BELIEFS OF IMMIGRANT HISPANIC STUDENTS AND PARENTS

Abstract

Ethnic Identity and Sense of School Belongingness: Behaviors and Beliefs of Immigrant Hispanic Students and Parents Francisco B. Ortiz For many decades, the number of minority students, particularly Hispanics, dropping out from school has been noticeable to say the least (Rumberger, 1995). These students have in the past and continue in the present to struggle with the educational system, and it is certain, but not clear, that various factors contribute to Hispanics’ poor academic performance and not being able to graduate from High School (Rumbaut & Cornelius, 1995). Some of these factors are organized in three groups: School-Related; Parental-Related; and Student-Related. Thus, this study is an attempt to understand how immigrant students and parents are currently responding to the challenges of dealing with a foreign educational system. The focus is primarily on how students have to manage a sense of identity while they are trying to incorporate to their schools, and how parents are supporting their children and keeping a dialogue with the schools. It was hypothesized that students’ overall ethnic identity would correlate significantly with students’ psychological sense of school belonging. Quantitative results showed no statistical correlations between students’ ethnic identity and students’ sense of school membership. A forced entry multiple regression analysis was conducted to evaluate if any of the subscale scores on the MEIM predicted sense of school belongingness. The predictors were Affirmation and Belonging, Ethnic Identity Achievement, Ethnic Behaviors, and Other-group orientation, while the criterion variable was the total score on the PSSM. The Affirmation and Belonging subscale was the only subscale that was significantly related to psychological sense of school belongingness. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my most cordial and sincere thanks to Dr. Lisa Sweatt, Dr. Kathy Ryan, and Dr. Mike Selby for their time, involvement, support and guidance along the process of completing this project. To Paty and Paulette: You both are the greatest gifts God has sent me. Thank you for being part of my life. To my parents, Juan F. Ortiz and Julia Ortiz, I dedicate my whole educational trajectory. GRACIAS POR TODO Y LOS QUIERO!!! To Juan: I thank God for a brother like you who taught me that there are no boundaries and that one should be grateful for what one has and not unhappy for what we do not possess. May you be in the company of God forever! TE QUIERO MUCHO. To Maury: Where one goes the other follows. We have had great experiences together and I hope to continue to count with your support and love. To my sister: I wish you the best in life, and remember that you can count on me for support on whatever endeavor you find yourself involved in. Congratulations to you and Oscar on being parents!!! “Your Dad is coming, and he is taking us to live in the U.S. ...you will have new opportunities in that country.” (My Mom, February 1995)