Latino Men
The Success of Latino Men in Today’s Community Colleges and Universities
Despite exponential growth of the Latina/o population and the overall gains made in their college access and success, Latina/os continue to experience lower levels of educational attainment, compared to other subgroups. These lower levels of attainment are felt even more by men of the Latina/o community, who continue to earn fewer degrees. In recent years, researchers have examined college men engaging in discussions around issues such as coping, race and gender socialization, identity development, and masculinity. Although all students may encounter academic and social challenges related to college-going, Latino men experience and cope with these challenges in distinct ways.
This work utilizes qualitative methods to understand how Latino men make meaning of their educational experiences and how community colleges and universities can support the educational success of these men. Currently, this research is focused on how Latino men experience relationships with their faculty members and family members as well as how they cope with academic and social challenges during the college-going process. In addition, this work is also shaped by exploring the level of awareness community college and university administrators have regarding the educational success gap for Latino men as well as how they make decisions regarding how the institution will prioritize and allocate resources to this issue.
Despite exponential growth of the Latina/o population and the overall gains made in their college access and success, Latina/os continue to experience lower levels of educational attainment, compared to other subgroups. These lower levels of attainment are felt even more by men of the Latina/o community, who continue to earn fewer degrees. In recent years, researchers have examined college men engaging in discussions around issues such as coping, race and gender socialization, identity development, and masculinity. Although all students may encounter academic and social challenges related to college-going, Latino men experience and cope with these challenges in distinct ways.
This work utilizes qualitative methods to understand how Latino men make meaning of their educational experiences and how community colleges and universities can support the educational success of these men. Currently, this research is focused on how Latino men experience relationships with their faculty members and family members as well as how they cope with academic and social challenges during the college-going process. In addition, this work is also shaped by exploring the level of awareness community college and university administrators have regarding the educational success gap for Latino men as well as how they make decisions regarding how the institution will prioritize and allocate resources to this issue.
Publications
Rodriguez, S. L., Vasquez, M., Salinas, C., Blaney, J. (in press). Latino Men and Masculinities: Community College Transfer Experiences in Texas, California, and Florida. Community College Review.
Vasquez, M.C., Salinas Jr., C., Rodriguez, S.L., Gonzalez, A. (2020). Landing Spaces and Capital: Latino transfer men resiliency and knowledge building. New Directions for Community Colleges, 87-101.
Lu, C., Rodriguez, S. L., Bukoski, B. (2019). Exploring How Gay Latinx Men Cope in College Using Emotion Regulation. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education.
Rodriguez, S. L., Jordan, A., Doran, E., Saenz, V. B. (2019). Latino Men & Community College Environments: Understanding How Belonging, Validation, and Resources Shape Experience. The Journal of Applied Research in the Community College.
Saenz, V. B., García-Louis, C., De Las Mercédez, C., & Rodriguez, S. L. (2018). Mujeres Supporting: How Female Family Members Shape the Educational Success of Latino Males in Postsecondary Education. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education.
Saenz, V. B., Mercedes, C., Rodriguez, S. L., & Garcia Louis, C. (2017). Latino Men and Their Fathers: Exploring How Community Cultural Wealth Influences Their Community College Success. Association for Mexican American Educators Journal, 11(2), 89-110.
Rodriguez, S., Massey, K., Saenz, V. (2017). Engaging Latino Men in Community Colleges: The Role of Student-Faculty Engagement. Journal of Applied Research in the Community College. 23(2), 21-40.
Rodriguez, S., Garbee, K., Miller, R., Saenz, V. (2017) Creating Change, Managing Institutional Resources: A Qualitative Analysis of How Community Colleges in Texas Prioritize Resources to Provide Targeted Programming for Latino Men. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, #(##), 1-16. DOI: 10.1080/10668926.2017.1281179
Saenz, V. B., Rodriguez, S. L., Pritchett, K., Estrada, J., Garbee, K. (2016). Latino Males in Higher Education: Administrator Awareness of the Emerging Challenges. In V.B. Saenz, L. Ponjuan, J. Figueroa (Eds.), Ensuring the success of Latino males in higher education: A new national imperative (pp. 177-191). Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.
Rodriguez, S. L., Lu, C., Bukoski, B. (2016). "I just feel like I have to duke It out By myself": How Latino men cope with academic and personal obstacles during college. Journal Committed to Social Change on Race and Ethnicity. 2(2), 63-101.
Rodriguez, S. L. (2016). Texas Education Consortium for Male Students of Color Policy Brief Series: How Latino men cope with academic and social obstacles during college. Austin, TX: University of Texas at Austin.
Saenz, V. B., Mayo, J., Miller, R. & Rodriguez, S. L. (2015). (Re)defining masculinity through peer interactions: Latino men in Texas community colleges. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 52(2), 164-175.
Vasquez, M.C., Salinas Jr., C., Rodriguez, S.L., Gonzalez, A. (2020). Landing Spaces and Capital: Latino transfer men resiliency and knowledge building. New Directions for Community Colleges, 87-101.
Lu, C., Rodriguez, S. L., Bukoski, B. (2019). Exploring How Gay Latinx Men Cope in College Using Emotion Regulation. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education.
Rodriguez, S. L., Jordan, A., Doran, E., Saenz, V. B. (2019). Latino Men & Community College Environments: Understanding How Belonging, Validation, and Resources Shape Experience. The Journal of Applied Research in the Community College.
Saenz, V. B., García-Louis, C., De Las Mercédez, C., & Rodriguez, S. L. (2018). Mujeres Supporting: How Female Family Members Shape the Educational Success of Latino Males in Postsecondary Education. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education.
Saenz, V. B., Mercedes, C., Rodriguez, S. L., & Garcia Louis, C. (2017). Latino Men and Their Fathers: Exploring How Community Cultural Wealth Influences Their Community College Success. Association for Mexican American Educators Journal, 11(2), 89-110.
Rodriguez, S., Massey, K., Saenz, V. (2017). Engaging Latino Men in Community Colleges: The Role of Student-Faculty Engagement. Journal of Applied Research in the Community College. 23(2), 21-40.
Rodriguez, S., Garbee, K., Miller, R., Saenz, V. (2017) Creating Change, Managing Institutional Resources: A Qualitative Analysis of How Community Colleges in Texas Prioritize Resources to Provide Targeted Programming for Latino Men. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, #(##), 1-16. DOI: 10.1080/10668926.2017.1281179
Saenz, V. B., Rodriguez, S. L., Pritchett, K., Estrada, J., Garbee, K. (2016). Latino Males in Higher Education: Administrator Awareness of the Emerging Challenges. In V.B. Saenz, L. Ponjuan, J. Figueroa (Eds.), Ensuring the success of Latino males in higher education: A new national imperative (pp. 177-191). Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.
Rodriguez, S. L., Lu, C., Bukoski, B. (2016). "I just feel like I have to duke It out By myself": How Latino men cope with academic and personal obstacles during college. Journal Committed to Social Change on Race and Ethnicity. 2(2), 63-101.
Rodriguez, S. L. (2016). Texas Education Consortium for Male Students of Color Policy Brief Series: How Latino men cope with academic and social obstacles during college. Austin, TX: University of Texas at Austin.
Saenz, V. B., Mayo, J., Miller, R. & Rodriguez, S. L. (2015). (Re)defining masculinity through peer interactions: Latino men in Texas community colleges. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 52(2), 164-175.
Partners
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering – Iowa State University | Women in Science and Engineering (WISE)– Iowa State University |
Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) | Kirkwood Community College
Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) | Kirkwood Community College
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
