Date of Degree
2025
Degree Name
Ed.D. (Doctor of Education)
Department
Department of Counseling and Higher Education (CAHE)
Director
Mac, Jacqueline
Committee Members
Gudrun Nyunt; Quortne Hutchings
Keywords
Latino/a/x, community college, familia, respect, support, pride, bilingualism, culture, identity
Abstract
This plática qualitative study explored how family engagement influences the college experiences of Latino/a/x students at a two-year public community college in the Midwest. This research was guided by Yosso’s Community Cultural Wealth Model to help provide insights into how familial capital assists in navigating the college journey for Latino/a/x students using an asset-based perspective. This research aimed to help better understand the lived experiences of Latino/a/x students and their families at the 2-year Midwest public community college and to challenge the deficit-oriented views of Latino/a/x family engagement in Western culture through the sharing of Latino/a/x students' and families’ stories.
This study included seven students who self-identified as Latino/a/x community college students. Each student invited family members (e.g., abuelitos, parents, uncles, tías, partners) to participate. Both students and their families engaged in individual pláticas about family engagement in the students’ college journeys.
The findings of this research highlighted the importance of education in the Latino/a/x culture and family engagement by showing that students’ aspirations are fueled by cultural resilience and family motivation. Families’ ways of raising and dreaming have helped students feel empowered to navigate the systemic inequities and cultural challenges, through optimism and resilience. Co-researchers also emphasized how Latino/a/x culture and language have served as sources of strength for their identities and personal and educational journey. At the same time, participants recognized that while institutional resources exist, colleges still need to work on strengthening their relationships with Latino/a/x families by ensuring accessible communication about available resources.
Publisher
Northern Illinois University
Rights Statement
In Copyright
Rights Statement 2
NIU theses and dissertations are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors, unless otherwise indicated.
Recommended Citation
Pizano, Ana K., "Vamos A Pláticar Sobre Nuestra Historia: De Mi Relación Con Mi Familia Al Éxito" (2025). Dissertations of Practice. 102.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/allgraduate-disspractice/102
