Xicanisma/o and Education

Abstract

Latina/os experience some of the lowest academic outcomes and youth of Mexican-origin are among the most educationally disadvantaged of all Latina/o subgroups. These disparities impact many Latina/o students including our family. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Chicana/o Movement focused on fighting for equality and access to quality education for Chicana/o students. Our parents were among the students who participated in and benefited from this fight. This set their children on the path to educational success. This is the story of how they broke down the educational barriers and set their children up as projectiles that pelted against an inferior educational system and unequal access. Through the lens of critical race theory (CRT) and Latina/o CRT, we use counter storytelling and narratives to demonstrate the parallels between the barriers and facilitators to educational success we experienced and those of Latina/o students. Barriers include socioeconomic hardships and racial discrimination in school. Facilitators include access and opportunities provided through social activism in the Chicana/o Movement, participation in college pipeline programs, mentorship and authentic caring, culturally relevant curriculum, and familism. We provide recommendations for serving and supporting Latina/o students through the educational pipeline.