"A Passion for Helping People": How Latina Community College Students' Altruistic Motivations Contribute to Forward Momentum

• In Event: 28.089 - MTCC Roundtable Session 10
  In Roundtable Session: 28.089-11 - Gender Exploration for Latinas: Empowering Chingonas

Abstract

This study documents the motivations and aspirations of Latina community college students as shaped by gender, race, class, and immigrant experience. Guided by Wang’s (2017) Holistic Theoretical Model of Momentum for Community College Student Success, our qualitative, phenomenological study yielded information about factors shaping Latinas’ motivations and how motivational attributes contributed to their momentum. Further, findings indicate an important outlying element (not directly addressed in Wang’s model) which could prove useful for further discussion/exploration related to motivation among Latinx students. Participant narratives depict a strong desire to help others (family members, communities, cultural/linguistic minorities). Data represented an element of contextualized altruism believed to be rooted in a collectivist cultural perspective that is/can be fostered within various contexts.

Authors

• Amanda Morales, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

• Elvira Julia Abrica, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

• Elizabeth Guadalupe Naveja, University of Nebraska - Lincoln