ABSTRACT

Postsecondary institutions do not typically recognize or utilize students’ cultural wealth, yet cultural practices can significantly affect college persistence. In this longitudinal study, seven Mexican American low-income college students attending a large public research institution participated in in-depth interviews to examine the types of familial-cultural practices participants engage in with their families, and to explore how they apply symbolic value to such practices. I used a Latina/o critical race theory framework to analyze the raced and gendered layers of their experiences and highlight the forms of resilience and agency developed by them. Findings revealed cuentos and consejos as pedagogies of sacrifices that helped raise students’ consciousness of oppressive experiences and enable the possibility for transformative behavior by encouraging educational motivation, aspirations, and attainment. The use of these stories and advice as socialization in families is an important human resource for resilience. The relationship between students’ cultural wealth and the ways they utilize it to persist in college is an area where more attention is needed.

摘要

大专院校通常不会承认或利用学生的文化财富，但是文化习俗会严重影响大学的持久性。在这项纵向研究中，参加大型公共研究机构的七名墨西哥裔美国低收入大学生参加了深入访谈，以调查参与者与家人进行的家庭文化习俗的类型，并探讨他们如何将象征性价值应用于这样的做法。我使用了拉丁裔/种族批判种族理论框架来分析他们经历的种族和性别层面，并强调他们所形成的韧性和代理形式。调查结果显示，cuestos和consejos是牺牲的教学法，有助于提高学生对压迫性体验的意识，并通过鼓励教育动机，志向和成就来实现变革性行为的可能性。这些故事和建议在家庭中的社交活动中的使用是恢复能力的重要人力资源。学生的文化财富与其在大学中利用财富的方式之间的关系是一个需要更多关注的领域。