An Emergent Pathway Toward Engineering: The Epiphanies of a First-Generation Mexican American Engineer

• In Event: Sunday Roundtable Session 11:25 am
  In Roundtable Session: From At-Risk to Bien Educados: The Educational Experiences of Latino Men (Table 6)

Abstract

There is a lack of Mexican American representation in engineering fields due to a variety of institutionalized barriers. However, there is an unclear understanding of the Mexican American engineer lived experience in their pursuit in becoming an engineer. I address the gap in the literature by sharing my stories as a first-generation Mexican American on the South Texas-Mexico border. Using autoethnography, I contextualize the critical junctures growing up that helped or hindered my pathway into engineering. My stories include my familial prayers for social mobility, the teachings of como trabajar (the meaning of hard work) from my father, my community supporters who taught the hidden curriculum, and the tension of enculturation in predominantly white social spaces. Implications are discussed.

Authors

• Gustavo Perez, Texas A&M University

• Andrew L. Kipp, Texas A&M University