Abstract
Much literature have documented that low income, first generation college students tend to contend with challenges and hardships such as financial constraints, low parental support, lack of college information, and lack of social networks. However, a growing number of the studies reverse such “deficit” view on first generation students of color, and assert that resources of traditionally disadvantaged students become a community cultural wealth for accessing privilege. This study collects the experiences of low income students of color who graduated from PWIs in the U.S. higher education system. In so doing, the study uses Yosso’s Community Cultural Wealth as a theoretical framework, and analyzes the experiences in terms of how they transform their resources into capitals. The analysis of the data shows that each participant leverages Yosso’s six capitals in the way to gain successful educational attainment. Unfulfilled parental dream and pitying parents turn to valuable family and aspirational capitals; lack of clear goals and lack of guidance compelled the participants to be able to navigate through possible social networks. The data also shows how one capital reinforces and intersects with other capitals.
Highlights
Educational pathways into college for low-income students of color are often shaped by structural inequality with respect to race and SES
Sizeable research exists on how students in Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) differ in how their cultural capitals are employed and valued in college
Preston and Palmer (2018) sum up stating that HBCUs serve as a conduit to various capitals that students possess prior to college. 1.1 Purpose of the Study The way that low-income first-generation students of color (LIFSOC hereafter) obtain, access, and operationalize capitals in fulfilling educational attainment is vastly different than that of middle-class Caucasian students
Summary
Vol 5, No 6, 2021 students of color tend to contend with financial constraints, low parental support, lack of college information, lack of social networks, etc. 1.1 Purpose of the Study The way that low-income first-generation students of color (LIFSOC hereafter) obtain, access, and operationalize capitals in fulfilling educational attainment (e.g., getting admission to exclusive colleges) is vastly different than that of middle-class Caucasian students.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have