Struggling, Persisting, and Liberating: A Case Study on the Experiences of Future Doctoras in the Midwest

• In Event: 72.065 - Roundtable Session 30
  In Roundtable Session: 72.065-1 - Rethinking Multicultural Doctoral Experiences

Abstract

This paper examines the educational experiences of Latina women in the U.S. educational system, in particular doctoral education. Because the deficit model has traditionally been the lens used to highlight the experiences of minority students within the U.S. educational system, the authors advocate for the utilization of more comprehensive race-based theoretical frameworks for examining the experiences of Latina women.
Four Latina doctoral students at a Midwest University through their narrative provide a counter-narrative (Solórzano & Yosso, 2002), to the deficit model. Employing a Latina/o Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) framework and a mestiza consciousness, the authors highlight critical issues that include: academic success, cultural and racial/ethnic identity, (re)defining first generation, sense of belonging, and the role of family and community.

Authors

• Mariana G. Martinez, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Blanca E. Rincon, University of Connecticut - Storrs

• Shantel Martinez, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Joanna Perez, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign