"Education, a Fatongia to My Family": Voices of Pacific Islanders in California Community Colleges Enrolled in a Learning Community

• In Event: 25.083 - MTCC Roundtable Session Eight
  In Roundtable Session: 25.083-11 - Setting the Record Straight in the Post-Truth Era: The Importance of Indigenous Research and Praxis II

Abstract

In an attempt to close the achievement gap for Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (NHPI) students, a California community college formed a learning community of NHPI students. With limited resources it is important to understand what practices are effective at addressing inequitable outcomes for NHPI students. The Mana program is completing its third year and the purpose of this study is to articulate interactions between NHPI students in the program and the institution, particularly during their first year in college. Findings show broad themes around Social and Cultural Acceptance, the Importance of Navigating Classroom and Institution, and The Structural benefits of the Mana program. The significance of this study is in how it informs institutional practices in support of NHPI students.

Author

• Finausina Teisa Tovo, San Francisco State University