Overview of Book: Studying Latinx/a/o Students in Higher Education

In 2021, Nichole M. Garcia, Jesus Cisneros and I co-edited the book Studying Latinx/a/o Students in Higher Education: A Critical Analysis of Concepts, Theory, and Methodologies. This edited volume is culturally relevant and sustaining for how we make sense of the knowledges, skills, and abilities Latinx/a/o students bring from their communities into institutions of higher education and community-based settings. In this post, I share a short description of the book, by providing the abstracts of each book chapter.

To order your copy now click on the title Studying Latinx/a/o Students in Higher Education: A Critical Analysis of Concepts, Theory, and Methodologies or visit https://www.routledge.com/Studying-Latinxao-Students-in-Higher-Education-A-Critical-Analysis-of/Garcia-Jr-Cisneros/p/book/9780367442507 20% Discount Available-enter the code SMA04 or FLY21 at checkout via Routledge Publisher website.

How We Envision This Work

Studying Latinx/a/o Students in Higher Education: A Critical Analysis of Concepts, Theory, and Methodologies came to fruition during our time together at the 2018 Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) in Tampa, Florida. The 2018 ASHE President, Lori Davis Patton, curated the conference theme, “Envisioning the Woke Academy: Past, Present, and Future.” Patton and program chair DL Stewart challenged scholars, practitioners, and students to “consider how awake we are” to racism, white supremacy, heteronormativity, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, anti-Blackness and other forms of hegemony. As attendees and Latinx/a/o[1] scholars, we are often forced to be awake to these conditions, resist, and rearticulate how to best respond through our research, teaching, service, and activism.

[1] We use Latinx/a/o as an umbrella term to acknowledge the various alterations and understandings of terms to name and identify people of Latin America descent and origin.

Foreword

Daniel Solorzano

Chapter 1. Introduction.

Nichole M. Garcia, Cristobal Salinas Jr., & Jesus Cisneros

In this chapter we use mascaras, trenzas, y greñas to provide the impetus for how we use and guide this book, as all of the contributors use the personal to understand concepts, theories, and methods related to the educational experiences of Latinx/a/o student populations in higher education. Using the work of Montoya (1994), readers of this edited volume should engage mascaras, trenzas, y greñas as connecting stories throughout every chapter that “refashion personal and collective identity” for Latinx/a/o students in higher education (p. 27). In this edited volume, we approach “education” broadly in that “education” can take place in formal and informal spaces, as our scholarship is not monolithic nor unilateral. This edited volume provides a guide for scholars, practitioners, and students to help advance, understand, and promote the success of Latinx/a/o student populations in higher education.

Chapter 2. Possibilities and Considerations for the Future of Student Development Theory Research

Ebelia Hernández

This chapter reviews and builds on the work of scholars who are rethinking student development scholarship, and considers the implications for the study of Latina/o/x student development. Guided by critical frameworks’ objectives to examine the impact and effects of oppression and structural analysis of systemic oppression to understand the experiences and meaning-making of minoritized populations, I propose two key areas to consider for future research: context, specifically the racialized and political environment; and methodological choices, such as how critical and post-structural theories might be used as epistemologies and/or theoretical frameworks in the theorizing of student development. I conclude this chapter with possibilities and considerations for theory development and research design.

Chapter 3. The College Choice Process as a Latinx/a/o Family Affair

Janette Mariscal

This chapter presents prominent college choice models that have been applied to Latinx/a/o students and their families. The purpose is to provide an overview on how college choice models have framed Latinx/a/o families to facilitate and transform how scholars and practitioners can work with students and their families in K-12 and beyond. Limitations and future directions for research and practice are presented.

Chapter 4. Social Connectedness and Latin* in Higher Education

Raquel Botello & Johanna Torres

The academic journey for Latin* is often fueled by a desire for collectivist empowerment and gaining a sense of success that inadvertently belongs to their families (Rodriguez et al., 2019). Latin* students often hold or seek a stable sense of social connectedness with their families and communities (Phinney et al, 2006). The relationship between social connectedness and higher education is complex due to cultural differences and systemic factors (Castellanos & Gloria, 2007). This chapter addresses the role of social connectedness by exploring current literature on social connectedness and Latin* students. The role of connectedness and belonging and its impact on the experiences, educational gaps, and triumphs of Latin* students in higher education is examined. Gaps in the literature and recommendations for innovative approaches to research with Latin* students and social connectedness are discussed.

Chapter 5. Advancing Asset-Based Practices for Latinx/a/o College Students: The Application of Community Cultural Wealth Theory

Antonio Duran, Evelyn Grace, & Gustavo Molinar

Though the number of Latinx/a/o college students enrolling at higher education institutions continues to grow, scholars and practitioners must think critically about the practices present at colleges and universities that allow these individuals to succeed. This chapter assists professionals in advancing and leveraging an asset-based perspective of Latinx/a/o students in order to bolster their success. Using Yosso’s (2005) community cultural wealth framework, we offer examples of how institutional agents can foster six forms of capital: aspirational, familial, linguistic, navigational, resistant, and social. We then conclude with recommendations for future research specific to cultural wealth for Latinx/a/o students.

Chapter 6. “Dime con quién andas y te diré quien eres”: Theories and Methodologies that Center Latinx/a/o Epistemologies and Pedagogies

Judith Flores Carmona

Centering Chicana/Latina feminist epistemologies and how I employ pláticas~testimonios methodology in my work with Latinx/a/o students at a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI), I acknowledge that the purpose of institutions of higher education was never to open its doors to Students of Color and other historically excluded/marginalized groups. I also answer the following questions: What is my approach to the study of Latinx/a/o students and how does my work contribute to the study of Latinx/a/o students in higher education? What ethical issues do I consider that are unique to the study of Latinx/a/o students in higher education? And, what opportunities for future research does my approach present? I conclude by offering consejos (advise) on how to continue en la lucha to decolonize academia through our teaching, research, and service.

Chapter 7. Consejitos as a Counter-hegemonic Peer Leadership Practice

Nydia C. Sánchez & Estee Hernández

In this chapter, we lean on our Chicana feminist epistemologies to theorize consejitos as one way Mexican American college students enact leadership. An extension of previous scholarship on consejos, we assert that consejitos are co-constructed peer-to-peer situational bits of advice. We apply this construct to a counter-story, where Gates Millennium Scholars at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) return to their high school for the 6th Annual Writing Retreat. We conclude with reflection prompts, encouraging the reader to recognize the extraordinary nature of this seemingly ordinary leadership practice.

Chapter 8. Ganas as a Praxis: Cultural Responsiveness in Latinx/a/o Higher Education Success

Rebeca Mireles-Rios, Victor Rios, Bertin Solis, & Jose Gutierrez

In this chapter, we argue that by grasping a better understanding of the origins of the concept and practice of ganas in Latinx communities, institutions of higher education, particularly Hispanic Serving Institutions, can better serve Latinx students through authentic caring and extended networks of support. We argue that the origins of ganas is rooted in the conceptual framework of pedagogies of the home. Through our pláticas, we contend that by focusing on the cultural validation of the concept and practice of ganas, higher education institutions can achieve success in retaining and promoting Latinx/a/o students. We conceptualize ganas as completely different from a resilience framework and believe that ganas has become anglocized in its translation. In other words, ganas needs to be reclaimed for what it represents to an entire community—the will to persist as a collective and promote each other’s well-being through seeking community and social justice.

Chapter 9. Trenzudas, Truchas, y Traviesas: Mapping Higher Education Through a Chicana Feminist Cartography

Verónica N. Vélez, Daisy Padilla Torres, & Dania López Jaramillo

This chapter employs ground-truthing (Vélez & Solorzano, 2017) along with a Chicana feminist epistemology (CFE) (Delgado Bernal, 1998) to foreground our spatiality as Latinas in higher education—an undergraduate student, a college student support staff professional, and an associate professor at a regional, public 4-year university—as we navigate higher education in the Pacific Northwest. Using groundtruthing and CFE as conceptual and epistemological anchors, and testimonio as method, this chapter introduces the necessity of a Chicana feminist cartography in order to capture our spatiality as: 1) trenzudas – connecting across generations; 2) truchas – strategizing how to navigate institutions not intended for us; and 3) traviesas – breaking the rules as we refuse the university. Collectively, these signal a set of spatial identities forged through struggle and made evident through shared experiences maneuvering the tranzas of higher education. This chapter stresses the importance of a Chicana feminist cartography for deepening a spatial consciousness in educational research that seeks to map how Latinxs/as/os traverse, translate, and transform the “ground” of higher education.

Chapter 10. Rupturing from the Black-white racial binary: AfroLatina/o/x bridging the Black-Brown divide

Claudia García-Louis

In this chapter, I challenge educational researchers to critically consider how historical events, such as slavery and the birth of mestizaje, contribute(d) to research practices that present Latina/o/x as a monolithic group; perpetrating exclusionary practices that positioning AfroLatina/o/x as outsiders. I endeavor to (a) demonstrate the need to conduct interdisciplinary research when attempting to assess Latina/o/x students’ educational experiences; (b) illuminate critical connections between slavery and the ‘safeguarding of schools’ from Black children; and (c) challenge the common use of the Black-white racial binary when interrogating racial relations in the U.S. Finally, I center AfroLatina/o/x students as the physical and metaphorical bridge that connects the discursive/intellectual division of browness and blackess.

Chapter 11. Centering Central American Students in Higher Education Research: A Proposal for Central American Student Self-Report (CASSR)

Blanca E. Vega, & Elizabeth Iris Rivera Rodas

In this chapter, we consider how Central Americans should be included in a larger panethnic Latin* context and higher education. This chapter provides a landscape review of the current literature on retention and persistence of Central Americans in higher education. Using the literature that currently exists on Central Americans in higher education, We argue for a Central American Student Self-Report (CASSR) and discuss the measures that should be used to develop instruments to further understand their persistence in higher education and assess interventions for Central American student success. We ask how the story of Central Americans should be included in a larger panethnic Latin* context and, even more broadly, in the story of the United States. Lastly, using a QuantCrit approach, the authors explore how primary data can be used to inform higher education practices and policies focused on Central American students.

Chapter 12. Undocumented Critical Theory in Education.

Carlos Aguilar

In this chapter, I acknowledge the role that migrant “illegality” has in the lives of undocumented students, but not without questioning the fundamental role that the education system plays in their trajectories. This chapter makes the argument that educational and legal system(s) continue to devaluate and dehumanize the lives of marginalized communities of color. Through the lens of Undocumented Critical Theory, I explore the marginalization of educational trajectories of students by tracing their experiences to the K-12 system, which is essential to understand, advance, and promote the experiences of undocumented students and a larger educationally marginalized people in higher education.

Chapter 13. Testimonio as Critical Race Feminista Methodology in Higher Education

Lindsay Pérez Huber

In this chapter, I describe how I have used Chicana feminist approaches and Latina/o critical theory (LatCrit) to develop the methodology of testimonio to conduct research with undocumented Chicanas/Latinas in higher education. I illustrate how these frameworks can transform normative research practices in higher education and turn attention to interdisciplinary approaches that can cultivate new knowledge and alternative pathways for the study of higher education. I argue the use of testimonio to build and bridge theory, method, and epistemology is a part of a Critical Race Feminista methodology, a move towards more humanizing research approaches with Communities of Color.

Chapter 14. A Futurity of Jotería Studies and Higher Education Research: Epistemological and Theoretical Shifts

Roberto Orozco

In this chapter, I assert the need for higher education scholarship to engage with queer Latinx/a/o knowledge and experiences. I propose the examination of a Latinx/a/o and queer identity as a move toward a futurity of bridging Jotería Studies with the field of higher education. I examine several contemporary works of Jotería Studies and draw parallels between queer Latinx/a/o experiences outside of academia to explicitly describe the hypervisibility and invisibility of queer Latinx/a/o people in higher education. Although there is an increase in scholarship that brings forth the examination of queer Latinx/a/o people in higher education, primarily college students, there exist an opportunity to build a foundation for Jotería Studies in higher education research. Lastly, I offer theoretical and epistemological shifts that elucidate the operation of Jotería Studies in and with higher education research.

Meet Dr. Ethan Swingle

Dr. Swingle graduated from the Higher Education Leadership doctoral program at Florida Atlantic University in December of 2019. After a brief stint at the University of Memphis, Dr. Swingle currently works as an athletic academic counselor for the men's basketball, men's and women's soccer teams, and the men's and women's golf teams at Missouri State University. Dr. Swingle also serves as an adjunct professor at Missouri State University and teaches leadership courses at Florida Atlantic University. Dr. Swingle's research interests are on the student athletes' experiences, transfer students, and leadership within organizations. You can follow him on Twitter: @Swingle_ethan

Favorite Quote: "Once you know what failure feels like, determination chases success." -Kobe Bryant

What advice would you give other graduate students?

First, be proactive in creating opportunities. For example, if you want to work in a field but do not have experience yet, ask if you could do volunteer hours. If you want to publish scholarly work, ask a faculty member if you can assist in any research projects. Second, embrace the journey. Grad school is difficult, but remember that you are building your future by your actions today.

Dissertation

Up, down, and all-around: The swirling-transfer student athlete experience at Athletic State University

Intercollegiate athletics have become an integral part of campus life (Shulman & Bowen, 2001), and have grown exponentially in the resources universities put forth to participate in this extracurricular activity (Clotfelter, 2011). Additionally, one of the biggest evolutions of intercollegiate athletics has been student athlete transfer (Cooper & Hawkins, 2014). However, little research has been conducted on the transfer student athletes, or the transfer student athlete experience (Cooper & Hawkins, 2014). As such, the purpose of this instrumental case study was to discover and describe the experiences and perceptions of swirling-transfer student athletes at Athletic State University. A purposive sample included nine student athletes, four coaches, and six athletic department staff interviewed and observed to gain a holistic experience of the swirling-transfer phenomenon, with multiple supporting documents also collected and analyzed. Three findings emerged from the data analysis; 1) “the roller coaster experience”, 2) “alternating support”, and 3) “the bigger picture”. The results of this study resonate with other findings within the literature but bring forward a new transfer experience within intercollegiate athletics. Recommendations to intercollegiate athletic governing associations, athletic departments, and scholars are included, with an emphasis of creating a database to track this subpopulation of transfer student athletes, as well as educating practitioners who support these student athletes every day.

Selected Publications

Floyd, D. L., Salinas, C., Swingle, E. C., Zeledon-Perez, M. J., Barhoum, S., & Ramdin, G. (Eds.). (2021). Graduate students’ research about community colleges: A guide for publishing. Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Graduate-Students-Research-about-Community-Colleges-A-Guide-for-Publishing/Floyd-Jr-Swingle-Zeledon-Perez-Barhoum-Ramdin/p/book/9780367437107

Swingle, E. & Salinas, C. (2020). Up, down, and all-around: The swirling-transfer collegiate athlete experience. Journal of Athlete Development and Experience, 2(3), 162- 181. https://doi.org/10.25035/jade.02.03.02

Salinas, C., Doran, E., & Swingle. E. C. (2020). The usage of the term Latinx in Community Colleges. New Directions for Community Colleges, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1002/cc.20383

Swingle, E. (2019). Military community colleges: An introductory examination. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 44(4) 293-297. https://doi.org/10.1080/10668926.2019.1574685

Salinas, C., Malave, R., Torrens, O., & Swingle, E. (2019). It is who we are. We are undocumented: The narrative of undocumented Latino male students in a community college. Community College Review, 47(3), 295-317. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091552119850888

Swingle, E., & Salinas, C. (2018). Hazing in intercollegiate athletics. In C. Salinas, & M. Boettcher (Eds.), Critical perspectives on hazing in colleges and universities: A guide to disrupting hazing culture. Routledge.

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As an associate professor in the Educational Leadership and Research Methodology Department at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), I have had the opportunity to develop curriculum for, and teach undergraduate, master, and doctoral students. In these courses, I center on fostering co-learning environments where students engage in collaborative learning. I draw from critical pedagogy, which challenges students to explore personal and systemic assumptions. In these classes, I seek to provide an education that will allow them to figure out the more complex problems, issues, and dilemmas that exist within the macro system to which they belong. Part of this process is to help students create an understanding of the complexity of higher education, and to discover the many areas that are understudied. All students can and should be inventors of their own theories, critics of other people’s ideas, analyzers of evidence, and makers of their own personal marks on this most complex world. Therefore, I encourage all students to do research, present at conferences and publish their work in academic journals. And I hope that in this blog I can highlight students’ critical thinking and scholarship.

I created this spot in my blog to highlight doctoral students I worked with during their graduate school experience. In particular, in my blog, I highlight postgraduate students for whom I served as a dissertation chair or co-chair.

I believe that it is crucial to highlight their work on this platform as another form of promoting and elevating them and their work, and as a simple way of saying THANK YOU for trusting me in your academic journey. Again, thank you, Dr. Ethan Swingle, for allowing me to learn with you and from you.

bell hook reminds us that critical thinking “requires teachers to show by example that learning in action means that not all of us can be right all the time, and that the shape of knowledge is constantly changing.” Through my teaching, research, and mentorship, I hope that I was a good real-role model to you, Dr. Swingle. Your scholarship and critical thinking are a reminder that knowledge is constantly changing. Thank you for your contributions to higher education.

In Fall 2019, Dr. Swingle graduated, and I had the honor to serve as his dissertation chair.

My Ph.D. Personal Statement

Every year I get asked to review and give feedback to people who apply for doctoral admissions. In addition, as a faculty, I get to read multiple personal statements for doctoral degree program's admissions.

Given that many of us do not get training on how to write a personal statement for graduate school, I decided to reshare my personal statement for Ph.D. admissions into the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies program at Iowa State University. I wrote my Ph.D. personal statement in 2011.

I hope this is helpful to many people who are interested in applying to a graduate program.

Photo from 2013 when I was at Iowa State University

Personal Statement 

My goal is to work at the university level to educate and influence students to pursue a higher education through an understanding of multiculturalism and issues of social justice. The College of Human Science and Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (ELPS) at Iowa State University (ISU) has and will hopefully continue to help me attain the necessary tools to develop a better understanding of the field of higher education in the world of academics. The social justice emphasis will help me acquire knowledge, attitudes, and skills needed to recognize, value, and promote the differences among individuals and communities. I believe individuals need to learn from the best to become the best, in an educational setting where theory is translated to practice. Earning my Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in higher education will serve as a tool to allow me to better serve my community, my people, and to realize my goal as a professional, educator and scholar.

I migrated from Mexico to the U.S. at a young age. This experience was challenging; I had to make friends, adapt to a different culture, and learn a new language. Mrs. Moyer, my first English as a Second Language teacher, helped me to surpass those challenges. Teachers along with my parents provided me with the support system to become successful despite these challenges. Although my parents only possess a seventh grade education, they have always given me sound direction and inspiration to further my studies. My parents inspired me to choose a career where I can make a difference. Support systems are not the only tool that I have utilized in furthering my goals. I have also sought opportunities to challenge myself to provide knowledge and understanding outside of the academic curriculum.

Before pursuing my Master Degree in student affairs from ELPS, I had the opportunity to teach at Elsik High School in Houston, Texas, and work as an intern in Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) and the United States Senate in Washington, D.C. for Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado. While pursuing my master’s degree, I completed a student affairs practicum experience at the State University of New York: The College of Brockport.

My experiences as an undergraduate and graduate student have helped me dig into seemingly endless opportunities. Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Education, English as a Second Language, and a minor in Dance from the University of Nebraska at Kearney, and continuing my journey at ISU has helped me solidify a long-time love of mine: helping students to succeed in an increasingly multicultural environment.

During my master’s journey and as a graduate student in the Office of Multicultural Students Affairs (MSA) Office at ISU, I worked with a team to implement the George Washington Carver Scholarship Program by teaching two courses each semester, University Studies 105 and 106, including developing class content and delivery. Due to my passion, creativity, and sensibility for the improvement and development of curriculum, research and pedagogy inside the classroom I have been nominated for the 2012 Iowa State Teaching Excellence Award. The student affairs program has given me the opportunity to grow as a scholar, leader, and person. I have had the opportunity to present at different local and national conferences including: Student Affairs Administrator in Higher Education – NASPA Region-IV, ISU Latino Leadership Retreat, University of Nebraska Greek Retreat, Risky Business Conference, Association for the Study of Higher Education Conference (ASHE), at American College Personnel Association (ACPA), among other conferences.

Currently, as the Multicultural Liaison Officer for the College of Design I have the opportunity to work with talented students, staff, and faculty. I chair the Design Diversity Board, and serve on various committees with in the college and ISU. I also help the college, MSA, and other campus departments with scholarship, student recruitment, and retention. In addition to fulfilling the requirements of my position, I continue to make myself an available resource to students, both professionally and personally, by creating meaningful relationships, critical conversations, and developing a safe environment.

The demographics in this country are continuously changing. The New York Times released an article that stated that Whites make up less than 50% of the three year-olds in the United States and that Latinos/as compose one-fifth of all enrollments from preschool to college (Tavernise, S., February 7, 2011). Although Latinos/as are a largely growing population, we take on leadership roles and engage in educational opportunities in our communities or on a national level at a lower rate than other groups. Through a wide variety of venues, institutions can recognize and address the need to encourage Latino/a education and leadership in our educational system. I strongly believe in the pervasive power of the public education system in doing this. If students can see early in their schooling experiences Latino/a teachers and leaders in their own communities and schools, than they begin to believe that they too can achieve monumental things. Therefore, this country needs a greater Latino/a presence within the education system.

Social justice, leadership development and Latino/a education is something I am passionate about, I believe in the power that education can have in changing a student’s life. Through multicultural education, Latinos/as can bring to the forefront issues that we believe need to be changed to improve the lives of our people and culture and continue to promote equity and diversity. As a Latino scholar I want to add literature to the world of academics and research the experience of Latino/a faculty in higher education. I want to learn about the Latino/a experience, promote education and opportunities for other Latinos/as. In the future I see more Latinos/as being represented in the government as well as business, and in higher education settings.

Currently, an educational revolution is going on, and I want to be one of the leaders of this revolution by educating and building a better world through accurate and culturally responsive knowledge and pedagogy. Obtaining a Ph.D. in higher education will prepare me to pursue a career as a scholar and faculty member at a college or university. I can then provide an opportunity to engage future educators in coursework and practical applications that will challenge their critical thinking skills through the lens of social justice.

The ELPS Department at ISU has challenged me to think critically through all facets of the academic experience, especially around issues of equity and diversity. My experiences as a Latino gay male in the student affairs program has provided me with the tools to better understand the value of equity and diversity in a continually changing educational environment.

I am committed to equity and diversity, and admittance into the doctoral program in ELPS will allow me to blend my passion for social justice and research. After talking with ISU faculty members about the Higher Education Program and my knowledge of the ELPS & ISU Community, I am confident this program can enhance my ability to provide equity and justice through education inside and outside the classroom environment. I believe my strong desire to work at an institution that promotes social justice through teaching and service to society, and my current and past work practice are predictive of my ultimate success in the College of Human Science and Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Department of the Iowa State University.