Un Pirámide: AfroLatin American Geographic, Institutional, and Discursive Space in Florida’s Public Higher Education

• In Event: Centering Both the Who and the Where: Place, Space, and Belonging

Abstract

Across U.S. higher education institutions (HEI), AfroLatin Americans (ALA) are rendered invisible within the discourse regarding Latin Americans, their descendants, and Black Americans. This research examines the relationships between ALA residential communities and local HEIs in the State of Florida. The conceptual framework blends migration/immigration, language inclusion, and race-ethnicity to frame ALAs in HEIs. Weaving together U.S census data, enrollment data from the Florida College System (FCS), and institutional discourse analysis of 15 FCS institutions. These data capture the (mis)alignment between local communities, FCS enrollment, and how these institutions (de)center their ALA populations. Institutional discourse considers the different racial schemas operationalized and the use of community characteristics to frame the ALA community.

Authors

• Ishara Casellas Connors, Texas A&M University

• Amalia Z. Dache, University of Pennsylvania

• Hailey Feik, Texas A&M University

• Doris Juarez, University of Pennsylvania

• Jonathon Sun, University of Pennsylvania