The current study focused on processes underlying Cuban students' academic performance. Using path analyses, the model examined the relations between family relationships and academic performance mediated by belongingness and moderated by sex differences among Cuban medical students (N = 613; M age = 21.39, SD = 2.05). Findings indicated that…

Sense of belonging is a fundamental human need that can raise the chances of self-actualization and academic success in college. Latine and other historically underrepresented student groups may experience greater challenges in this area than White students due to a greater propensity for feelings of belonging uncertainty, perceptions of…

This study draws on interviews and classroom observations with Latinx, English Learners (ELs) at a high school in Southeastern Virginia to analyze how this group of students builds social connections and constructs "belonging" at school. Findings indicate that these EL students' school experiences are framed by underdeveloped and ad hoc…

As the Latino population continues to grow in the United States, it is important for Latino youth, and specifically, Latino males, to obtain a college degree. As other demographic groups graduate from colleges and universities across the country, Latino males continue to lag behind their non-Latino peers in obtaining their college degrees.…

The designation of Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) is based on a percentage of Latinx students enrolled, rather than how policies, programs, or curriculum impact these students' education. We describe how one Hispanic-Serving College of Education sought to make the designation meaningful through a collaborative research initiative in which…

This mixed method study assessed the perceptions of health professional graduate students on a sense of belonging and evaluated the engagement experiences valued most in a graduate program across three domains of belonging, academics and diversity, equity and inclusion. Hispanic students valued building professional relationships with faculty and…

This qualitative study investigated the experiences of first- and second-year migrant undergraduate students and staff in the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) at Arizona State University (ASU). ASU CAMP, which started in 2016, is the first program of its kind at an Arizona public university. Using an ethnographic monitoring approach, a…

Various studies have sought to understand factors affecting low university retention rates of indigenous students. However, little is known about students who successfully complete undergraduate programs in STEM fields. This investigation, utilizing the life history approach, analyzed academic trajectories of 11 Mapuche graduates or near-graduates…

Some assert that first-year college programs can foster increased engagement among college students and lead to successful outcomes, but there is a lack of in-depth analysis of students' perceptions of their experiences in such programs. This qualitative study explores a small sample of young, Pell Grant-eligible Latino male students' perceptions…

The current study positions high school relationships and resources as assets to college-going Latinx students, examining the potential academic benefits of maintaining high school friendships and participating in support services offered from the high school context. The participants were 165 graduates (86.4% Latinx; 75.6% low-income) from a high…

In the Spring of 2021, five Latine high school students gathered over Zoom to discuss experiences of "confianza" (trust) and "desconfianza" (distrust) with a team of researchers. Via multimodal testimonios, students built a community of "confianza" and "convivencia" (togetherness). Students identified this…

When students can find commonalities with others at a university in terms of race, ethnicity, or first-generation status, they also build a strong identity and, in turn, find a sense of belonging. We studied a Title V student center, "The Center," at a Hispanic-Serving Institution, using a counterspaces framework to understand how…

The purpose of this study is to understand the impact of COVID-19 on the college transition for Latina/o/x students who enrolled at Citrus State College (pseudonym) during the Fall of 2020 as either first-year or transfer students. In particular, the authors explore the effects of the pandemic on students' sense of belonging, academic integration,…

The term "community" is drawn upon within critical educational literature that seeks to address inequity experienced by students of color in schools, yet little explicit discussion of its meaning and history is presented. In this article, I offer one way of thinking about community. I propose that it has existed as resistance within the…

This qualitative study explores the college choice process and first-year experiences of first-generation college Latino students. Case study analysis was used with one-on-one interviews, revealing five emerging themes: (1) Latino identity expression; (2) first in the family; (3) desire for sense of community; (4) embracing Latino identity in…