Synopses & Reviews
Latinos’ postsecondary educational attainment has not kept pace with their growing representation in the U.S. population. How can Latino educational attainment be advanced?
This monograph presents relevant contemporary research, focusing on the role of institutional contexts. Drawing particularly on research grounded in Latino students’ perspectives, it identifies key challenges Latino students face and discuss various approaches to address these challenges. Because so many Latino students are enrolled in federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), it also specifically explores HSIs’ role in promoting Latinos’ higher education access and equity. As a conclusion, it offers recommendations for institutional, state, and federal policies that can foster supportive contexts.
This is Volume 39 Issue 1 of the Jossey-Bass publication ASHE Higher Education Report. Each monograph in the series is the definitive analysis of a tough higher education problem, based on thorough research of pertinent literature and institutional experiences. Topics are identified by a national survey. Noted practitioners and scholars are then commissioned to write the reports, with experts providing critical reviews of each manuscript before publication.
Table of Contents
Executive Summary vii
Foreword ix
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction 1
Postsecondary Attainment 3
Economic Implications of Low Educational Attainment 4
Organization of This Monograph 6
Demographic, Social, and Cultural Background 9
A Demographic Dividend? 9
Ethnic Subgroups 12
Cultural and Social Influences 17
Summary 25
Classic and Contemporary Theories of Latino Identity Development 27
Ethnic and Racial Identity Development in College Students 29
Supporting Latino Students in Identity Development 36
Summary 37
Challenges to Latino Student Success 39
Casting Success Within a Broader Societal Context 39
Role of Resources 40
Summary 52
Mainstream Approaches to Latino Student Success 53
Academic Capital 54
Financial Capital 59
Cultural Capital 60
Social Capital 62
Summary 65
Culturally Responsive Approaches to Latino Student Success 67
Family Concerns 68
Assumptions About Latinos’ Background and Potential 71
Campus Racial/Ethnic Climate 73
Conclusion 80
The Role of Hispanic-Serving Institutions in Access and Equity 81
Historical Background and Funding of HSIs 83
Students in HSIs 87
Faculty and Administrators at HSIs 88
Emerging Hispanic-Serving Institutions 90
Challenges for HSIs 91
Summary 92
Conclusion and Implications 93
Role of Demographics and Social and Cultural Factors 93
Developing Culturally Responsive Research, Policy, and Practice 94
Institutionalizing Strategies to Serve Latino Students 95
Teaching and Learning in the Classroom 95
Role of Finances 96
Collaborative Research 96
Role of State Legislators and Policymakers 96
Role of Federal Representatives and Agencies 97
Final Thoughts 98
References 99
Name Index 119
Subject Index 126
About the Authors 131