U.S. Central American Students in Higher Education: Finding a Sense of Belonging

مرکز و کتابخانه مطالعات اسلامی به زبان های اروپایی

منو

" U.S. Central American Students in Higher Education: Finding a Sense of Belonging "
Maldonado Dominguez, Katy Joseline

Document Type	:	AL
Record Number	:	926815
Doc. No	:	LA8w50t45b
Language of Document	:	English
Main Entry	:	Maldonado Dominguez, Katy Joseline
Title & Author	:	U.S. Central American Students in Higher Education: Finding a Sense of Belonging [Article]\ Maldonado Dominguez, Katy Joseline
Title of Periodical	:	Alephvirgul UCLA Undergraduate Research Journal for the Humanities and Social Sciences
Volume/ Issue Number	:	16
Date	:	2019
Abstract	:	This paper highlights the overlooked experiences of U.S. Central Americans in higher education. Given the absence of Central American studies departments and various shared experiences with Mexican communities in the Southwest, this study analyzes how Chicana/o/x studies departments can serve as relatable spaces for U.S. Central Americans. This study draws from eight semi-structured interviews with U.S. Central Americans in UCLA’s Chicana/o studies department to provide insight into how they navigate and create agency within academia. The findings show that U.S. Central Americans in this study developed a dual sense of belonging as Latina/o/x and U.S. Central American students. As Latina/o/x students, the Chicana/o studies department offered tools and knowledge that affirmed their belonging in a predominantly white institution. However, as U.S. Central Americans, the Chicana/o Studies department lacked a complete inclusion of their specific ethnic and cultural experiences. This research argues that to document these realities is to begin to understand how to facilitate the success of U.S. Central American students to critically assess the multiple academic realities of an increasingly diverse population of Latina/o/x collegestudents.