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Pathways to Reach Higher Education: Reflections of College Knowledge Development for First- and Second-Generation Latino Men College Goers

American Psychological Association
Journal of Diversity in Higher Education
Authors:
Adrian H. Huerta at University of Southern California
Adrian H. Huerta
Edgar Lopez at University of Southern California
Edgar Lopez
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Abstract

The college admission process is often stacked against racially and ethnically minoritized student populations. However, some students earn access to the most selective colleges and universities. This article expands the empirical discourse on the college pathways for Latino men by examining similarities and differences between 23 first- and second-generation college-going Latinos. Participants recall “who” and “how” they prepared for selective colleges and universities during secondary school. We draw from two theoretical frameworks, community cultural wealth and validation theory, to understand how individual and structural forces shape how and who shared college knowledge during high school. Our findings highlight (a) student interactions with counselors based on generational status, (b) counselors facilitating college opportunities, and (c) students’ participation in college access programs.
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Journal of Diversity in Higher Education
Pathways to Reach Higher Education: Re󰍐ections of College Knowledge
Development for First- and Second-Generation Latino Men College Goers
Adrian H. Huerta and Edgar F. Lopez
Online First Publication, August 8, 2024. https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000577
CITATION
Huerta, A. H., & Lopez, E. F. (2024). Pathways to reach higher education: Re󰍔ections of college knowledge
development for 󰍓rst- and second-generation Latino men college goers.. Journal of Diversity in Higher
Education. Advance online publication. https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000577
... For Latino boys specifically, educators often attribute low school engagement to cultural deficits and claim that these students are disinterested in learning without considering the structural barriers embedded within schools that hinder authentic educator-student engagement (Huerta, 2024;Hopkins et al., 2013;Martinez & Castellanos, 2018). Despite the misconceptions of pundits, school educators, and district leaders, Latino boys and their families are deeply invested in education and understand the long-term importance of attaining educational credentials (Carey, 2018;Huerta & Lopez, 2024). Unfortunately, the research on Latino boys in K-12 schools has highlighted racialized practices that track youth away from supportive learning environments by restricting access to college preparatory curricula, extracurricular activities, and highly impactful educators (Carey, 2019;Huerta et al., 2023;Martinez & Huerta, 2020). ...
... Other scholarship centered on Latino men and higher education pathways found that, when Latino college men reflected on their secondary school experiences, they noted that school counselors acted as "gatekeepers" by actively withholding college information because they perceived these students were not worth the investment of time and resources (Arámbula Turner, 2019;Huerta & Lopez, 2024;Martinez & Huerta, 2020). The unnecessary barriers created by school personnel cause undue stress and concern for Latino boys and men as they attempt to navigate a complicated college admissions process (Arámbula Turner, 2019;Huerta, 2024;Ryu et al., 2021). ...
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... For Latino boys specifically, educators often attribute low school engagement to cultural deficits and claim that these students are disinterested in learning without considering the structural barriers embedded within schools that hinder authentic educator-student engagement (Huerta, 2024;Hopkins et al., 2013;Martinez & Castellanos, 2018). Despite the misconceptions of pundits, school educators, and district leaders, Latino boys and their families are deeply invested in education and understand the long-term importance of attaining educational credentials (Carey, 2018;Huerta & Lopez, 2024). Unfortunately, the research on Latino boys in K-12 schools has highlighted racialized practices that track youth away from supportive learning environments by restricting access to college preparatory curricula, extracurricular activities, and highly impactful educators (Carey, 2019;Huerta, McDonough, Venegas, & Allen, 2023;Martinez & Huerta, 2020). ...
... Other scholarship centered on Latino men and higher education pathways found that, when Latino college men reflected on their secondary school experiences, they noted that school counselors acted as "gatekeepers" by actively withholding college information because they perceived these students were not worth the investment of time and resources (Ballysingh, 2019;Huerta & Lopez, 2024;Martinez & Huerta, 2020). The unnecessary barriers created by school personnel cause undue stress and concern for Latino boys and men as they attempt to navigate a complicated college admissions process (Ballysingh, 2019;Huerta, 2024;Ryu et al., 2021). ...
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  • Feb 2025
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