Serving Whom? Examining the Community Cultural Wealth and Microaggressions of Latine Students at an Emerging HSI
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Date
2024-01-09
Authors
Bermúdez Bonilla, Bobbie
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
In the past decade, Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), institutions that enroll at least 25 percent of undergraduate Latine students, have gained in popularity. With an increasing Latine population and enrollment in higher education, the federal government recognizes HSIs as major contributors to the academic persistence and graduation of Latine students. HSIs have access to federal funds to ensure success in supporting underrepresented students. Many colleges and universities, including the University of Oregon, have begun the transition from predominantly white institutions to Hispanic serving institutions. A university in this transitional period, characterized by a Latine student enrollment between 15 and 24.9%, is called an emerging HSI. There is no established protocol for emerging HSIs to successfully transition into federally recognized HSIs, which presents a persistent challenge. Similarly, the definition of what it means to serve Latino students can vary significantly from institution to institution.
This dissertation assesses how an emerging HSI can better support its Latine students during this transitional period. The project focuses specifically on the lived experiences of Latine students at the University of Oregon. As UOregon begins its transition, the institution must consider the lived experiences and testimonies of Latine students to better understand where they are excelling and what areas require improvement. The design of this case study includes select interviews and surveys with 65 Latine, mostly female-identifying undergraduates.
This research contributes to a greater theoretical understanding of servingness for emerging HSIs, focusing on theories of community cultural wealth and microaggressions. Latine students enter emerging HSIs with a particular cultural capital, which institutions must not only acknowledge but also promote. This project’s findings suggest that the majority of Latine students at this specific emerging HSI sense a lack of belonging and require more than just words to feel genuinely supported by their universities. This study also indicates that an emerging HSI’s identity must be based on student feedback if an institution is to genuinely embody the Latine-serving mission. Moreover, this study highlights the drawbacks of interest convergence and challenges the notion that HSI status is solely based on student enrollment.
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Keywords
Community Cultural Wealth, Emerging HSI, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Latine students in higher education, Microaggressions, Predominately white institutions