Latina Student Research Articles

Establishing Mentoring Relationships as Early-Career Latina Student Support Services Professionals

ABSTRACT Latina student services administrators represent 7% of administrators on college campuses. The lack of Latina representation in administrator roles indicates the need to better recruit and retain this group of administrators. Mentoring is one tool which supports the retaining of administrators. Using a Chicana feminist epistemology and thematic analysis, this study examines the experiences of early-career Latina SSS administrators with mentoring and supportive communities. Our findings indicate that early-career Latina professionals struggle with establishing mentoring relationships; are intentional in seeking mentors; and often must resort to establishing their own peer communities of support. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Becoming an inventor: a young Latina’s narrative

Latinas, along with many other minoritized groups, are underrepresented as inventors in the United States. Despite accounting for over 9% of the population, <1% of U.S. patent holders are Latina. In an effort to increase diversity among inventors and patent holders, a number of K-12 programs have been created to provide opportunities for students to participate in the iterative and recursive processes of inventing. One example is the emerging field of invention education. Invention education is an educational approach which teaches students how to identify and solve problems within their communities. Little is known about the experiences of Latina students who have participated in invention education and have begun developing identities as inventors. Through narrative methodology, we analyzed how the life experiences of one Latina student contributed to her identity development as an inventor. Four themes were developed through the analysis of the Latina student’s narrative. The first was the early and consistent support of her family members. The second theme was the student’s understanding of the importance of Latinx representation in STEM. The student’s participation in extracurricular STEM activities was the third theme that contributed to the development of her identity as an inventor. The final theme was her continued involvement in engineering at the university level. While early, consistent, and continued identity work in extracurricular invention and STEM activities contributed to the development of an inventor’s identity, literature has shown that opportunities such as these are not available to all students, especially those who have been historically underrepresented as inventors. We argue for making access to invention education more equitable by embedding it within the school day.

Sobreviviente: Examining the Effects of Spirit Murdering on the BODYMINDSPIRIT of Latinas Attending a Hispanic-Serving Institution

ABSTRACT This study sought to understand the educational experiences of three Latina doctoral students that led to spirit murdering, that is, the racial violence that sought to kill their humanity. They examined their experiences of spirit murdering while attending a Hispanic-Serving Institution in the southwest, reflecting on the impact this had on their bodymindspirit and the ways in which they responded. The number of Latinas pursuing a post-secondary degree is growing exponentially, and the difference between their enrollment and degree attainment numbers is staggering. Literature has revealed that instances of stress, gender bias and role conflict, marginalization, and isolation have affected Latina students in academia. By analyzing the experiences of the study’s participants, the authors offer their insight on how institutions (and in particular, HSIs) could better support Latina student populations.

“Denying America”: Vivian's Counterstory of Undocumented Status

Abstract This article provides a counterstory of a formerly undocumented Latina student's experiences navigating school and music education in the United States. Using tenets of undocumented critical theory (UndocuCrit) and counter-storytelling, I share Vivian's journey through secondary and postsecondary education as she encountered systemic barriers in pursuit of a career in music education. Vivian's narrative revealed institutional hindrances that disrupted access to music education at both secondary and postsecondary levels. Notably, shifting policies, misinformation, limited access to funding, and issues with immigration documents interfered with Vivian's aspirations of becoming a certified, full-time music educator. Unwavering familial support and legal assistance from a skilled attorney aided her pursuit of higher education. Eventually, Vivian fashioned a new path in a different field of study and now uses her experiential knowledge to assist others who are undocumented. Possibilities for working with undocumented immigrant students and families are discussed in light of fluid immigration policies and the ongoing sociopolitical climate.

“Fake It Until You Make It”: Participation and Positioning of a Bilingual Latina Student in Mathematics and Computing

Background/Context: After-school programs that focus on integrating computer programming and mathematics in authentic environments are seldomly accessible to students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, particularly bilingual Latina students in rural contexts. Providing a context that broadens Latina students’ participation in mathematics and computer programming requires educators to carefully examine how verbal and nonverbal language is used to interact and to position students as they learn new concepts in middle school. This is also an important stage for adolescents because they are likely to make decisions about their future careers in STEM. Having access to discourse and teaching practices that invite students to participate in mathematics and computer programming affords them opportunities to engage with these fields. Purpose/Focus of Study: This case study analyzes how small-group interactions mediated the positionings of Cindy, a bilingual Latina, as she learned binary numbers in an after-school program that integrated computer programming and mathematics (CPM). Setting: The Advancing Out-of-School Learning in Mathematics and Engineering (AOLME) program was held in a rural bilingual (Spanish and English) middle school in the Southwest. The after-school program was designed to provide experiences for primarily Latinx students to learn how to integrate mathematics with computer programming using Raspberry Pi and Python as a platform. Our case study explores how Cindy was positioned as she interacted with two undergraduate engineering students who served as facilitators while learning binary numbers with a group of three middle school students. Research Design: This single intrinsic case focused on exploring how small-group interactions among four students mediated Cindy’s positionings as she learned binary numbers through her participation in AOLME. Data sources included twelve 90-minute video sessions and Cindy’s journal and curriculum binder. Video logs were created, and transcripts were coded to describe verbal and nonverbal interactions among the facilitators and Cindy. Analysis of select episodes was conducted using systemic functional linguistics (SFL), specifically language modality, to identify how positioning took place. These episodes and positioning analysis describe how Cindy, with others, navigated the process of learning binary numbers under the stereotype that female students are not as good at mathematics as male students. Findings: From our analysis, three themes that emerged from the data portray Cindy’s experiences learning binary numbers. The major themes are: (1) Cindy’s struggle to reveal her understanding of binary numbers in a competitive context, (2) Cindy’s use of “fake it until you make it” to hide her cognitive dissonance, and (3) the use of Spanish and peers’ support to resolve Cindy’s understanding of binary numbers. The positioning patterns observed help us learn how, when Cindy’s bilingualism was viewed and promoted as an asset, this social context worked as a generative axis that addressed the challenges of learning binary numbers. The contrasting episodes highlight the facilitators’ productive teaching strategies and relations that nurtured Cindy’s social and intellectual participation in CPM. Conclusions/Recommendations: Cindy’s case demonstrates how the facilitator’s teaching, and participants’ interactions and discourse practices contributed to her qualitatively different positionings while she learned binary numbers, and how she persevered in this process. Analysis of communication acts supported our understanding of how Cindy’s positionings underpinned the discourse; how the facilitators’ and students’ discourse formed, shaped, or shifted Cindy’s positioning; and how discourse was larger than gender storylines that went beyond classroom interactions. Cindy’s case reveals the danger of placing students in “struggle” instead of a “productive struggle.” The findings illustrated that when Cindy was placed in struggle when confronting responding moves by the facilitator, her “safe” reaction was hiding and avoiding. In contrast, we also learned about the importance of empathetic, nurturing supporting responses that encourage students’ productive struggle to do better. We invite instructors to notice students’ hiding or avoiding and consider Cindy’s case. Furthermore, we recommend that teachers notice their choice of language because this is important in terms of positioning students. We also highlight Cindy’s agency as she chose to take up her friend’s suggestion to “fake it” rather than give up.

Racial and Language Microaggressions in the School Ecology

The growth trajectory of ethnically and linguistically diverse individuals in the United States, particularly for youth, compels the education system to have urgent awareness of how diverse aspects of culture (e.g., Spanish-speaking, Black Latina student) are implicated in outcomes in American school systems. Students spend a significant amount of time in the school ecology, and this experience plays an important role in their well-being. Diverse ethnic, racial, and linguistic students face significant challenges and are placed at considerable risk by long-observed structural inequities evidenced in society and schools. Teachers must develop the capacity to be culturally sensitive, provide culturally responsive pedagogy, and regularly self-assess for biases implicated in positive academic outcomes for students in kindergarten through Grade 12. Research and practice have suggested that racism and discrimination in the form of racial microaggressions are observed daily in schools and classrooms. This article provides an overview of racial microaggressions in the school context and their damaging effects on students. We provide specific examples of microaggressions that may be observed in the U.S. classroom environment and how schools can serve as a positive intervention point to ameliorate racism, discrimination, and racial and language microaggressions. This comprehensive approach blends theory with practice to support the continued development of cultural humility, culturally sustaining pedagogy, and an equity-responsive climate.

Experimental evidence of disparities in biology teachers’ responses to student writing

ABSTRACT Writing activities can function as powerful teaching tools in science education – but are their benefits realised equitably? The answer may depend in part on how teachers interpret and respond to student writing in light of societal stereotypes that link scientific competence, linguistic competence, and racial, ethnic, or gender identity. In this experiment, high school biology teachers (n = 70) in a U.S. state evaluated and gave feedback on a purported student writing sample. No main effect of student writer’s racialised/gendered identity was found; however, non-Hispanic White teachers gave lower ratings when the writing sample was attributed to a Latina female student rather than a non-Hispanic White male student. The reverse pattern was apparent in the ratings of Hispanic teachers and other teachers of colour. All teachers wrote generally similar feedback, but non-Hispanic teachers of colour and White teachers wrote shorter feedback to a Latina student when ‘her’ score was low, a relationship which did not appear in feedback written to a non-Hispanic White male student. Although most of these disparities did not exhibit statistical significance, many effect sizes were relatively large and may merit further study. Practical implications for equity in science education are discussed.

ELEVATING LATINA VOICES OF LEADERSHIP: Latina Student Leaders’ Beliefs, Approaches, and Influences to Leadership

There is a recent call for and emergence of leadership research that purposefully centers students’ social identities and lived experiences in order to gain more nuanced understandings of college student leadership development and elevate marginalized voices in the leadership narrative. In this qualitative study, the researchers focused on the leadership approaches of Latina college student leaders at Hispanic Serving Institutions and the influences that shape their approaches to leadership. The findings reveal participants’ unique forms of capital as well as sources of on-campus support that shape and influence their leadership beliefs and styles, including a focus on community, a commitment to making a positive impact, and non-hierarchical approaches to leadership.

Peer-to-Peer Leadership, Mentorship, and the Need for Spirituality From Latina Student Leaders' Perspective.

Reflecting on one's life and academic experiences can provide powerful insights that inform leadership practice. This chapter offers perspective on mentoring and peer leadership from two undergraduate students. Recommendations for leadership educators are incorporated.

Latina Experience in Higher Education: Problem-Solving to Facilitate Student Success

ABSTRACT The authors of this qualitative modified, success case study explore a Latina college senior’s sense of context, conditions, self-awareness, and personal management of familial and educational problems during the final two semesters prior to graduation. The research questions address: (a) What does a successful Latina student identify as challenge?; and (b) How does she process those challenges to assist with success? Using a success case study, the student’s assessment of the nature and quality of those challenges in terms of University completion and graduation are explored. Findings support the importance of the institutional provision of creative bridging experiences that address new students, social-cognitive, cultural, and academic needs.

The influence of familismo on Latina student STEM identity development

ABSTRACT This phenomenological research study explored how Latina college students developed their STEM identities, particularly focusing on the influence of familismo within the STEM identity development process. The study found that (1) interdependence and attachment from family members supported the STEM journey; (2) family members both in and outside of STEM influenced identity development; and (3) complications emerged from STEM identity, family, and the good daughter persona. Findings encourage institutions to utilize elements of familismo to engage families in the STEM experiences and identity development of Latina students.

Differential perceptions of a hypothetical sexual assault survivor based on race and ethnicity: Exploring victim responsibility, trauma, and need for social support

Objective: Explore the ways in which a sample of college women interpret racially/ethnically coded vignettes to understand their perceptions of responsibility and trauma experienced by a hypothetical female sexual assault survivor and her need for social support. Participants: Convenience sample of college women (N = 51) attending a large, predominately white university in the Southeastern United States recruited between January and March 2013. Methods: Participants were randomly assigned one of three vignettes describing a hypothetical date rape scenario. Vignette scenarios were identical except for discrete statements coded to signify either an African American, Latina, or white female student. Participants responded to open-ended questions that gauged their interpretations of responsibility, trauma, and social support. Results: Qualitative analysis of open-ended responses revealed six overarching themes, including overt victim blaming/shaming, justification of the sexual assault, and perceived need for social support. Conclusions: Findings point to the significance of including race in discussions about and programs that address sexual assault on college campuses to ensure that all women who experience sexual violence receive the support that they need.

Transitioning from High School to College: Examining the Sources and Influences of Social Capital for a First-Generation Latina Student

This paper uses the life history method to narrate the experiences of Camilla, a 19-year-old, first-year student at a four-year university. Camilla emigrated with her mother from El Salvador to the United States during her freshman year of high school. Based on two years of data collection, the author presents Camilla’s experiences at different stages, including her childhood in El Salvador, first and last year in high school, and her first year in college. The paper explores the sources and influences of social capital for a low-income, first-generation student and highlights its dynamic and contextual nature. The author argues that the findings have direct implications for the development of college access and readiness policies.

Sustaining Latina Student Organizations

Utilizing the exploratory case study methodology, the author examines the conditions that support and limit a Latina-based student organization at a predominately White institution of higher education. Seven organizational structures were found to influence the organization’s ability to advance its aims, from interviews, documents, observations, and focus groups with students and university personnel. Implications for future researchers, student affairs administrators, and university policy makers are discussed.

Barriers to Success: A Narrative of One Latina Student's Struggles

In this essay, Jannell Robles explores and discusses some common themes found in her experiences as a Latina undergraduate student. During the summer of 2008, she conducted fieldwork in a rural town in Mexico. Her experiences as the only Latina student on this trip were similar to her experiences at her university and those discussed by Latina scholars. Robles considers the pros and cons of being an insider and an outsider to a rural town in Mexico, the use of Latinos as cultural brokers while denying their contributions as social scientists, and the blame she experienced for her lack of adjustment. She also discusses the ways she resists these obstacles through survival strategies.

El Libro de Recuerdos (Book of Memories): A Latina Student’s Exploration of Self and Religion in Public School

This article is an exploration of how an alternative text reflects the multiple identities of one high school Latina, focusing in particular on her religious identity. In this ethnographic case study, the author addresses three questions: 1) In what ways does literacy activity inside the school, in the form of the science scrapbook, allow for this student to construct her religious self inside as well as outside of school? 2) How is one student’s science club scrapbook a symbolic representation of the struggle between the spiritual and material worlds that she negotiates? and 3) How does this scrapbook challenge traditional notions of identity and highlight the complexity of presenting a religious self in the public domain? In describing one student’s engagement with religion via her scrapbook, the article argues for a more complex and nuanced view of religion, literacy, and identity.

Comparing Educational Trajectories of Two Chinese Students and One Latina Student, A Social Capital Approach

This qualitative study compares and analyzes the social network experiences of two working-class Chinese students from immigrant families (Sally, Alex) to those of one working-class Latina student from an immigrant family (Elizabeth). Theory holds that these students would have difficulty obtaining educational resources and support (i.e., social capital) to hurdle educational discrimination (Biddle, 2001). They would also have difficulty devising post-secondary education plans. As is argued throughout, it is Chinese students' presence in the more resource-full networks and organizations that facilitate their acquisition of social capital. This bears on their greater educational trajectories. The Latina student's experience contrasts theirs. Her limited social capital complicates her ability to hurdle educational discrimination. This reduces her high school opportunities and her post-secondary educational opportunities.

Single-Gender and Co-Educational Special Education Classrooms: Latina Student Attitudes, Perceptions, and Experiences

This qualitative research was designed to give voice to Latina students in single-gender and co-educational secondary-level special education placements for students with mild to moderate learning disabilities. Classroom observations and interviews were conducted with Latina special education students and classroom teachers in both single-gender and coeducational special education classrooms in one urban school site serving a large special education population. The findings of the study indicate that the single-gender special education environment provides greater comfort levels and less distractions in the classroom and increased levels of classroom participation and school attendance than the co-educational classroom environment.

Single-Gender and Co-Educational Special Education Classrooms: Latina Student Attitudes, Perceptions, and Experiences

This qualitative research was designed to give voice to Latina students in single-gender and co-educational secondary-level special education placements for students with mild to moderate learning disabilities. Classroom observations and interviews were conducted with Latina special education students and classroom teachers in both single-gender and coeducational special education classrooms in one urban school site serving a large special education population. The findings of the study indicate that the single-gender special education environment provides greater comfort levels and less distractions in the classroom and increased levels of classroom participation and school attendance than the co-educational classroom environment.

GEVA, Esther, Allan BARSKY and Fern WESTERNOFF, eds., INTERPROFESSIONAL PRACTICE WITH DIVERSE POPULATIONS

GEVA, Esther, Allan BARSKY and Fern WESTERNOFF, eds., INTERPROFESSIONAL PRACTICE WITH DIVERSE POPULATIONS. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Corp., Inc., 2000, 211pp., $67.50 hardcover.. A psychologist, a social worker, and a speech-language pathologist produced this edited volume. It is a casebook about interprofessional, diversity-informed practice. This text is designed to help students and professionals connect theory and practice in a way that is ....detailed, multifaceted, and realistic. The editors see this as an educational tool that can be used: * As a personal resource for practicing professionals; * As a primary textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses on diversity and interprofessional practice; * As a casebook for professional development workshops, case discussions, and other forms of in-service training for various types of health, mental health, social welfare, and educational agencies and institutions; and * As a library resource for supplementary research and reading for students who do not use this book as a primary text. Chapter 1 looks at interprofessional practice in terms of team constituents and team dynamics and then analyzes the special issues that develop when clients come from diverse backgrounds. Chapters 2-9 look at different contexts of practice [mental health, neurological disorders, child abuse, education, addiction, and criminal justice]. The students, clients, and patients in the cases represent a range of ages, presenting problems, cultures, sexual orientations and genders, family dynamics, and other socioeconomic circumstances. A final chapter offers a summary of key issues and a case for readers to ponder in terms of interprofessional, diversity-informed perspectives. The editors hope that this casebook uses cases to bridge the gap between classroom theory and practice/implementation in the community. Interprofessional practice is also sometimes called multiprofessional or interdisciplinary practice. There are a number of axes along which diversity-informed practice takes place, such as culture, race, socioeconomic status, religion, mental and physical health status, gender, sexual orientation, language, and political identification. There are many challenges to this sort of very difficult and challenging research, and the editors list these challenges as power, politics, funding, territoriality, educational biases, humanistic concerns, and legal issues. The case studies that are used to illustrate interprofessional, diversity-informed practice are many and varied: the case of an African American woman with traumatic brain injury, the too-quiet adolescent, crisis intervention with a gay Irish American man, educational issues with a Vietnamese Canadian child, the case of a deaf Taiwanese youth, theft by a Cree woman and victim-offender mediation versus healing circle, the case of an Algerian adolescent with antisocial behavior, and neuropsychological and interprofessional practice with a Latina student with epilepsy. …