Considering the collectivist culture and strong family connections in Latinx families, engaging parents and family members of new Latinx students in higher education is important to promote students' persistence and completion of their degrees. Parent and family member orientation (PFMO) programs offered in Spanish provide a bridge between…

For more than 20 years, traditional medicine of Mexico, the U.S. Southwest and other countries has been taught as a series of academic course at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque in the United States. These courses focus on traditional uses of healing plants and rituals for students in higher education and the community. These courses…

The goal of this research was to explore Mexican American cultural elements through folklore as a way of addressing cultural competence. Content analysis of 21 stories, which were collected from Mexican American older adults, indicated that strong family ties, gender roles, and religiosity are central cultural elements in Mexican American culture.…

This dissertation study contributes to the dearth of research examining the leadership development of Latina college students. Using critical race feminism (CRF) as a guiding framework, this study centers the experiences of Latina college students, exploring how dominant cultural values, Latinx cultural values, and the context of the collegiate…

Recently, there has been a greater focus directed towards the collegiate experiences and success of male students of color on college campuses. In response, many campuses have begun implementing interventions or programs for the purpose of retaining Latinx men and men of color. Male-centered student programs provide Latinx men with a community and…

College culture centers are safe havens for underrepresented students, yet we know little about them. Through a survey with open- and closed-ended questions, this exploratory study examined the experiences and learning of 9 out of 11 college students who completed an academic course offered through a Latino Cultural Center (LCC). Through analysis…

Over a period of nine years (2011-2019), I have had the opportunity to engage with -- and to contextualize through a decolonial and mental health lens -- the growing threats to and the policing of students at different Southern Californian community colleges. These interactions occurred with a non-White majority of students, mainly Xicanas/os, who…

The U.S. South, in spite of its racist Jim Crow era laws and political history, has the fastest growing Latine immigrant population in the country. In North Carolina alone, the Latine population is responsible for over one-third of the state's growth exceeding all other population groups. Despite this rapid-growing change, the state is third to…

Language textbooks present cultural content in a typically homogeneous fashion, thereby ignoring inherent diversity both within and between cultures and reinforcing monodimensional views. Consequently, instructors must find ways to facilitate students' critical engagement with and reflection on cultural representations in order to provide them…

Using a funds of knowledge framework, this qualitative case study focuses on Latina/o staff in a college outreach program. Findings suggest the success of the outreach program is influenced by staff who have incorporated funds of knowledge into their professional practice. This study reveals that funds of knowledge are not only accumulated or…

This article discusses the unique situation of teaching an upper-level, undergraduate Spanish conversation course with a service-learning component at a large, public, urban university. With the help of service-learning literature and anonymous pre- and post-surveys, this study aims to offer some qualitative observations and advice on…

A growing number of colleges and universities in the United States offer Spanish classes intended to meet specific needs of heritage speakers. In predominantly White institutions, beyond the language focus, these classes can also provide Latino students with a unique place on campus to strengthen their sense of belonging in ways that might not be…

This article investigates the use of culture portfolios in second language Spanish university classes at an American private university as part of an innovation that incorporated an ACTFL standards-based curriculum to a basic language programme. The portfolios required students to complete different types of tasks through interactions with members…

The educational system continues to inadequately serve Latina/o students across the educational pipeline. A key shortcoming is the system's inability to develop, support, and grow educational leaders that can respond. In this article, the author poses a series of pedagogical approaches using a Community Cultural Wealth (Yosso, 2005) lens. In the…

Many Latino/a students select online learning as a viable option for completing a college degree. Yet, Latino/a perspectives regarding online social presence is unknown. This study explored Latino/a students' perceptions of social presence in online courses as related to their culture perspectives of interpersonal communication, values, norms and…