Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Evaluating Campus Climate at US Research Universities pp 151–168Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

“Mi Familia”: Counterstories of First-Generation Latina/x Students Navigating a Racially Hostile Campus Climate

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Abstract

Santa-Ramirez highlights the counter-stories of six undergraduate students at a public Research I predominantly White institution (PWI) in the Southwest, US. The author applies critical race and sense of belonging theoretical frameworks to investigate the support systems first-generation Latina/x students utilize for persistence while navigating a racially hostile campus climate. Three themes emerged from the data: (1) Culturally-based academic program, (2) Peer and professional staff support, and (3) Ethnic student organization involvement. The findings of this study assist in providing a greater understanding and awareness of the negative impacts hostile racial tensions on college campuses have on many Latina/x students and the importance of institutional support systems and services during these challenging and transitional times.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   109.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Anzaldua, G. (1990). Haciendo caras/making face, making soul: Creative and critical perspectives by women of color. San Francisco, CA: Aunt Lute Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baker, C. N. (2008). Under-represented college students and extracurricular involvement: The effects of various student organizations on academic performance. Social Psychology of Education, 11(3), 273–298.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bennett, S. M. (1999). Self-segregation: An oxymoron in Back and White. In K. Freeman (Ed.), African American culture and heritage in higher education research and practice (pp. 121–131). Westport, CT: Praeger.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, L. M., & Gilligan, C. (1992). Meeting at the crossroads: Women’s psychology and girls development. New York, NY: Ballantine Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clandinin, J. (2006). Narrative inquiry: A methodology for studying lived experience. Research Studies in Music Education, 27(1), 44–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davis, M. (1997). Latino leadership development: Beginning on campus. National Civic Review, 86(3), 227–233.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Delgado, R., & Stefancic, J. (2017). Critical race theory: An introduction (3rd ed.). New York, NY: NYC Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delgado-Romero, E., Hernandez, C., & Montero, H. (2004). Mapping the development of Hispanic/Latinx student organizations: A model at the University of Florida. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 3(3), 237–253.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DeOnis, C. M. (2017). What’s in an “x”? An exchange about the politics of “Latinx”. Chiricu Journal, 1(2), 78–91.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York, NY: Continuum International Publishing Group.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harper, S. R., & Hurtado, S. (2007). Nine themes in campus racial climates and implications for institutional transformation. New Directions for Students Services, 120, 7–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hernandez, J. C. (2002). A qualitative exploration of the first-year experience of Latino college students. NASPA Journal, 40(1), 69–84.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hurtado, S., & Carter, D. (1997). Effects of college transition and perceptions of the campus racial climate on Latina/o college students’ sense of belonging. Sociology of Education, 70, 324–345.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hurtado, S., & Ponjuan, L. (2005). Latino educational outcomes and the campus climate. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 4(3), 235–251.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, S. (1997). Ethnic/cultural centers on predominantly White campuses: Are they necessary? In K. Lomotey (Ed.), Sailing against the wind: African Americans and women in education. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krogstad, J. M. (2016, July). 5 facts about Latinos and education. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/07/28/5-facts-about-latinos-and-education/.

  • Labov, W. (1972). Sociolinguistic patterns. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leech, N. L., & Onwuegbuzie, A. J. (2008). Qualitative data analysis: A compendium of techniques and framework for selection for school psychology research and beyond. School Psychology Quarterly, 23(4), 587–604.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Love, D. (2009). Student retention through the lens of campus climate, racial stereotypes, and faculty relationships. Journal of Diversity Management, 4(3), 21–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mason, M. (2010). Sample size and saturation in PhD studies using qualitative interviews. Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 11(3). Available from http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/1428/3027.

  • Montelongo, R., Alatorre, H., Hernandez, A., Palencia, J., Plaza, R., Sanchez, D., et al. (2015). Latina/o students and involvement: Outcomes associated with Latina/o student organizations. In D. Mitchell Jr., K. Soria, E. Daniele, & J. Gipson (Eds.), Student involvement and academic outcomes: Implications for diverse college student populations (pp. 93–106). New York: Peter Lang.

    Google Scholar 

  • Museus, S. D. (2014). The culturally engaging campus environments (CECE) model: A new theory of college success among racially diverse student populations. Higher education: Handbook of Theory and Research, 29, 188–227.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nunez, A. M. (2009). Latino students’ transitions to college: A social and intercultural capital perspective. Harvard Educational Review, 79(1), 22–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parra, R., Rios, V., & Gutierrez, A. (1976). Chicano organizations in the Midwest: Past, present and possibilities. Aztlan, 7(2), 235–253.

    Google Scholar 

  • Patton, M. Q. (2002). Two decades of developments in qualitative inquiry: A personal, experiential perspective. Qualitative Social Work, 1(3), 261–283.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perez Huber, L. (2009). Challenging racist nativist framing: Acknowledging the community cultural wealth of undocumented Chicana college students to reframe the immigration debate. Harvard Educational Review, 79(4), 704–729.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rankin, S., & Reason, R. (2005). Differing perceptions: How students of color and White students perceive campus climate for underrepresented groups. Journal of College Student Development, 46(1), 43–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reyes, D. I. V. (2012). Latino student politics: Constructing ethnic identities through organizations. University of California, Irvine. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rhee, B. (2008). Institutional climate and school departure: A multinomial multilevel modeling approach. The Review of Higher Education, 31, 161–183.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rios Vega, J. A. (2015). Counterstorytelling narratives of Latino teenage boys. New York, NY: Peter Lang Publishing Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salinas, C., Jr. (2017). Transforming academia and theorizing spaces for Latinx in higher education: Voces perdidas and voces de poder. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 30(8), 746–758.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schlossberg, N. K. (1989). Marginality and mattering: Key issues in building community. New Directions for Student Services, 1989(48), 5–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Solorzano, D., & Villalpando, O. (1998). Critical race theory, marginality, and the experience of minority students in higher education. In C. Torres & T. Mitchell (Eds.), Emerging issues in the sociology of education: Comparative perspectives (pp. 211–224). Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Solórzano, D. G., & Yosso, T. J. (2002). Critical race methodology: Counter-storytelling as an analytical framework for education research. Qualitative Inquiry, 8(1), 23–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Solórzano, D. G., Ceja, M., & Yosso, T. J. (2000). Critical race theory, racial microaggressions, and campus racial climate: The experiences of African American students. The Journal of Negro Education, 69, 60–73.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stearns, C., Watanabe, S., & Snyder, T. D. (2002). Hispanic serving institutions: Statistical trends from 1990–1999. Darby, PA: Diane.

    Google Scholar 

  • Strayhorn, T. L. (2008). Sentido de Pertenencia. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 7(4), 301–320.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strayhorn, T. L. (2012). College students’ sense of belonging: A key to educational success for all students. New York and London: Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Thayer, P. B. (2000). Retention of students from first generation and low income backgrounds. The Journal of the Council for Opportunity in Education, 3–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tinto, V. (1993). Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition (2nd ed.). Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ward, L., Siegel, M. J., & Davenport, Z. (2012). First-generation college students: Understanding and improving the experience from recruitment to commencement. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yosso, T. J. (2005). Whose culture has capital? A critical race theory discussion of community cultural wealth. Race Ethnicity and Education, 8(1), 69–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

    Stephen Santa-Ramirez

Authors
  1. Stephen Santa-Ramirez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    Krista M. Soria

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Santa-Ramirez, S. (2018). “Mi Familia”: Counterstories of First-Generation Latina/x Students Navigating a Racially Hostile Campus Climate. In: Soria, K. (eds) Evaluating Campus Climate at US Research Universities. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94836-2_7

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94836-2_7

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-94835-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-94836-2

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation