"The Girls Are Treated Like Angels": Race and Gender Socialization of Latino Middle School Males

• In Event: 77.057 - MTCC Roundtable Session 35
  In Roundtable Session: 77.057-2 - Intersectional Identities of Latino Males: Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Youth Organizing

Abstract

Chicano/Latino male students engage in a series of social interactions and exchanges both in and out of school on a daily basis. Through these interactions, students begin to develop both a social and academic identity of who they are and how others in society view them (Pizarro, 2005 Rios, 2011). Although separate, these identities ultimately shape and determine the outcomes and aspirations of many young Chicano/Latino males (Huerta, 2015). Schools in particular determine the social order of students and often places students of color at the bottom of the hierarchy which limits their ability to access honors and advanced placement courses, and limits their access to institutional agents who can provide resources for them to be successful (Martinez & Huerta, 2018).

The purpose of this study is to understand the socialization process that Chicano/Latino males undergo during middle school. Saenz and Ponjuan (2009) identify early education as the place where Chicano/Latino males begin to experience challenges in schools. As such, it is imperative for educators to begin to understand how school practices and culture shape the experiences of Chicano/Latino males at different stages of the educational pipeline. In particular, this study explores the type of culture that is created in school by school personnel and the effect that the school environment has on Chicano/Latino males. This research is guided by the following questions:

1) How do students interact with the environment and culture of the school?
2) How does race and gender affect the school experiences for Chicano/Latino males?
3) How does race position students within their school and community space?

Using Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality as a theoretical framework, I explore how students are positioned based on their race, gender and class identities by their teachers (Crenshaw, 1991; Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1995). CRT allows use to centralize the discourse about race, class and gender as the focus of analysis and its usage is purposeful and unapologetic (Delgado & Stefancic, 2001; Howard, 2008). Data for this study comes from a qualitative case study consisting of focus group, individual interviews and classroom observations a charter middle school in Northern California.

Findings revealed that, first, students developed and adopted beliefs and attitudes on how boys their age should behave. This included adopting a general dislike for school and acting tough around their peers in order to impress them. Second, most students believed that their teachers were racist and gave preference to females and students who were not Mexican-origin. Students discussed how non-Latino teachers would apply strict discipline towards Chicano/Latino males but were lenient when it came to disciplining Chicanas/Latinas. Finally, students were also aware of how the surrounded environment further marginalized students as they were often followed or not allowed entry into public spaces.

Author

• Eligio Martinez, Claremont Graduate University