ERIC Number: ED636679
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 74
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3797-9482-8
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Being Afro Latino: A Look into the Sense of Belonging and Community for Afro Latino Students
Josue Rosario-Caliz
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Fairleigh Dickinson University
This qualitative research examined the experiences of college students at 4-year liberal arts colleges who identified as Afro Latin with their non-Latin(o/a/x) Black and Latino peers and how those experiences affected their sense of belonging. Frequently, student affairs leaders and practitioners assume most, if not all, students of color on campus collectively provide a cohesive community of support. Rather than serving as a reliable base of support, or an oasis, this study found the experiences of college students identifying as Afro Latin were not free of racism, sexism, classism, colorism, microaggressions, microassaults, isolation, segregation, and marginalization. This study also sought to define what Blackness means as a living experience within a Latin context. Its findings join the literature's challenging notions that Latin cultures are more welcoming of Africans or cultures resulting from racial mixture than European cultures. Each participant had a one-time, 1-hour, semistructured interview session. This study found Afro Latin students felt pressure to identify exclusively as Black or Latino based on skin tone or physical features (e.g., hair) to gain acceptance, often negating their identity/formation. Further, this study found interactions with their Latin(a/o/x) and Black counterparts often left them feeling "half-baked" and experiencing being within a community but never feeling a genuine sense of belonging and acceptance. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: College Students, Blacks, Multiracial Persons, African American Students, Hispanic American Students, Group Membership, Sense of Community, Student Experience, Racism, Gender Bias, Aggression, Social Isolation, Power Structure, Disadvantaged, Racial Segregation, Racial Identification, Racial Attitudes
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A