This study examines Mexican-origin first-generation college students' (FGCS) transformational impetus within the sociopolitical context of the Nuevo South. Authors investigate transformational impetus through students' perceptions of knowledge and tools for advocating for equity and social justice in their communities. Results suggest a greater…

The study explored how Mexican-origin women in STEM utilized Anzaldua's borderlands of identity and Conocimientos to successfully navigate between Mexican-origin cultures and STEM cultures. Students experienced life-changing events during their studies (el arrebato) and felt torn between STEM and Mexican-origin cultures (Nepantla). However,…

The present study examines the potential protective effect of familial support among first-gen Mexican descent college students regarding GPA, college persistence, and depressive symptoms. Participants included 487 Mexican descent college students from across the United States (66.7% first-gen). Results indicated that being a first-gen student was…

This qualitative study examined how first-generation Mexican American college students sought support from their families to cope with challenges. Some students had very close relationships with their family members and allowed them to be an integral part of their coping processes. However, others separated family from the coping or built chosen…

The current study examined communication between Mexican-origin college students (n = 84) and their parents and the supportive messages that students received. Students attend a Hispanic Serving Institution in central Texas. Most students (96.4%) communicated weekly with parents. Females communicated more with their mothers. Relationship quality…

Using community cultural wealth as a theoretical framework, this qualitative study examined the college choice process of eight undocumented Mexican college graduates. Through interviews, participants shared their "testimonios" revealing the development of their college aspirations and challenges encountered related to their undocumented…

Chicanas and Latinas are still severely underrepresented in higher education. Much of the previous literature focuses on the barriers to their success. This article highlights studies related to Chicana Feminism and the ways this perspective can positively impact college attainment and success. The authors conclude by discussing implications of…

This article addresses the question of whether higher education Hispanic students of different nationalities have different perceptual learning style preferences. Independent samples t test results suggest students of non-Mexican heritage prefer visual learning styles more than students of Mexican heritage. ANOVA results show older students and…

Going to college is an expectation for many students, but this is not always the norm for many minority families. The decision to leave the comfort of home for college includes many family discussions and literacy practices that greatly affect a student. Studying family literacy practices such as storytelling and "cuentos y consejos"…

The goal of this research was to explore Mexican American cultural elements through folklore as a way of addressing cultural competence. Content analysis of 21 stories, which were collected from Mexican American older adults, indicated that strong family ties, gender roles, and religiosity are central cultural elements in Mexican American culture.…

This study investigated the relationship between psychocultural, sociocultural, college knowledge, and citizenship status factors on Latinx high school students' college enrollment. Participants included 307 Latinx ninth-grade students enrolled across four high schools in central Texas that were followed post-high school graduation. Results…

This study examined the narratives of six third-generation Mexican American teachers. The teachers' range of experience ranged from preservice to 10 years of teaching experience. Central to this research study are the differences that exist among Mexican American teachers in terms of their cultural awareness and teaching practices. The purpose of…

This study draws on sociocultural perspectives of identity to understand the ways in which Mexican-origin undergraduate students are recruited into the "figured world" of engineering. The analysis of in-depth, ethnographically situated interviews with 14 participants revealed three sets of recurrent discourses in students' accounts of…

We examined how character strengths and family importance influenced Mexican American college students' life satisfaction. Using multiple regression analysis, findings indicated that optimism, grit, and gratitude were significant predictors of life satisfaction. We provide a discussion regarding the importance of these findings as well as…

Recovering and critically examining the pioneering scholarship and history of George I. Sanchez provides an interpretation toward a legacy of a Chicana/o student and policy advocacy framework for Chicana/o scholars to consider. The author of this work applies a critical policy theoretical analysis by Frank Fischer to develop a Chicana/o student…