The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to explore faculty perceptions of barriers to academic literacy development for Hispanic students at a small, rural school district in North Texas. Specifically, the researcher sought to investigate the perceptions of faculty regarding the barriers to Hispanic literacy development that…

Using the lens of Community Cultural Wealth (CCW; Yosso, 2005), the present study examined the supports and challenges encountered by Latinx and Black students as they obtained doctoral degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) disciplines. Twelve self-identified participants at predominately White institutions (PWI) completed…

Purpose. This research aimed to contribute to a deeper understanding of the intersection of ethnicity, first-generation status, and higher education attainment. The study sought to comprehend the essence of the journey through college for a group of first-generation Latino males, unveiling the challenges, triumphs, and transformative aspects that…

According to the 2020 U.S. Census, 62.1 million people identify as Hispanic/ Latiné in the United States. Of the 49.6 million students enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools in fall 2022, 14.4 million students identified as Hispanic (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2024a). Factors such as poverty, health issues, and…

There is growing evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic had a large and negative impact on student learning. This dissertation explores the effect of the pandemic on one of the most vulnerable student subgroups: English Learners (ELs). In this work I examine existing disparities among subgroups of ELs, and the different ways the pandemic has impacted…

Research exploring the participation and retention of Latino/as in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) is still in its early stages, but it is shedding light on the lack of representation, why they occur, and what are the outcomes for those that remain in STEM. This review of the literature explores the barriers, stressors, and…

A hostile campus climate and culture significantly impacts students' of color overall well-being and learning, especially in the present day's highly tense racial and political environment. As fourth-year doctoral students, identifying as a Black woman and Latina, the authors have faced adversities and obstacles navigating both personal and…

Generation Z, individuals born between 1995 and 2010, is projected to soon be the first minority-majority generation in the United States. This generational cohort is attending colleges now and will continue to enter colleges for the next decade. Within the Generation Z population are a large group of the Latinx students who often struggle to meet…

California Community Colleges (CCC) are the largest post-secondary higher education systems in the nation, with an enrollment of over 2 million at a given year. They are also the most affordable and accessible for students after completing K-12 education. With California having the largest Latinx residents (39%), they overwhelmingly makeup 45% of…

Studies on Latinx/a/o queer and trans students showcase how they navigate cultural expectations tied to their ethnicity about sexuality, gender roles, and gender expression. A predominant focus in this research has been understanding how gay Latino cisgender men exist within and resist systems of patriarchy and hypermasculinity. However, because…

Numbers of Dual Language Bilingual Education (DLBE) programs are rapidly growing in the United States, especially in the New Latinx Diaspora in the South. With fast expansion comes a need for DLBE teachers, but there is a lack of programs in this region to prepare teachers with specialized knowledge for DLBE instruction. This phenomenological…

This qualitative phenomenological research study aimed to investigate and describe the lived experiences of Latina first-generation college graduates in Texas with relation to the internal and external factors that led to successful degree attainment. The conceptual framework used to describe how Latina first-generation college students perceived…

This study describes students' experiences applying for and maintaining financial aid at a community college in Southern California. Through individual interviews and focus groups, we examined the interaction points between students, institutional actors, institutional policies, and state/federal policies. We theorize that interactions between…

Mental health conditions were seen to rise during the COVID-19 pandemic as individuals lost loved ones due to the pandemic, lost jobs, and in many cases had to care for elderly and other loved ones. For students, the pandemic also brought the additional challenge of having to transition to online learning. In this study, we investigated the…

This study explores the parental support first-generation Latinas have received, and recognizes the skills, knowledge, and various forms of support that Latinx parents can and have provided their daughters when they seek a college education. Through a community cultural wealth framework, this study adds to the current literature on Latina and…