"You're Beautiful When You Are Who You Are": Sense of Belonging, Race, and Ethnic Studies

• In Event: 79.042 - Still Persistent, Still Pervasive: Race and Racism in American Schooling

Abstract

Research shows that student sense of belonging supports perceptions behind the value of education, academic aspirations, attendance, and academic achievement (Chavous et. al., 2003; Harper & Tuckman, 2017). However, prior research refers to sense of belonging as universal and evidence is limited in explicating the nuances in how sense of belonging is unique for racially diverse students, specifically Black, LatinX and south east Asian students (Osterman, 2000). Ethnic Studies is examined in this study as a potential intervention to both cultivate and build/rebuild sense of belonging between racial minority students, academic institutions and communities at large. Students demonstrated that centrality of race within curriculum and teaching methodology fostered high levels sense of belonging, which also correlated to increased student learning.

Authors

• Ramon Stephens, University of California - San Diego

• James Crawford, University of California - San Diego

• Kirk D. Rogers, University of California - San Diego

• Dolores Lopez, University of California - San Diego

• Thandeka K. Chapman, University of California - San Diego

• Makeba Jones, University of California - San Diego