“What does it mean to be Latinx to you?”: An analysis of Oregon Latinx Students and their Ethnic Identity
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Date
2020
Authors
Auld, Maya Arabella
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
The current study uses inductive thematic analysis to derive themes from responses to an open-ended question. This study was set in Oregon where 23% of k-12 students are Latinx (Gill et al., 2019). Data for the present study, collected in spring of 2019, is written responses to the question “What does it mean to you to be Latina/o/x?” Participants were 495 Latinx high school students attending a one-day leadership conference. Thematic analysis generated 36 codes and 6 themes from the open-ended responses, representing all levels of the ecological model (Bronfenbrenner, 1977). Codes included culture, pride, community, family, language, and resistance. The six themes were: internal, interpersonal interactions, interactions, societal structures, larger culture, and miscellaneous. The codes and themes shed light on how Latinx youth conceptualize their ethnic racial identity (ERI). Exploration of relationships between themes of pride, a component of positive regard and ERI, academic achievement, and participation in M.E.Ch.A. (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlán) revealed a significant relationship. between M.E.Ch.A. participation and responses coded for pride in which students who participated in M.E.Ch.A. were more likely to respond to the open-ended question in a manner indicative of pride.
Description
94 pages
Keywords
Sociology, Latinx Ethnic Identity, Ethnic Identity, Latinx, Latino/a, Thematic Analysis, Ethnicity, Latin American Descent