Asian and Latiné Experiences in Panethnic Student Organization (Poster 10)

• In Event: AERA Promising Scholarship in Education Research: Dissertation Fellows and Their Research

Abstract

Student organizations are known to foster community and are an engaging aspect of college student life. Specifically, for Asian and Latiné college students who face exclusion and marginalization at predominantly white institutions (PWIs), panethnic student organizations bring together students from different national origins into one grouping and provide a welcoming community engaging with students’ heritage. Membership in panethnic organizations provides tangible and intangible benefits. However, less is known about the distinctions used to determine inclusion or exclusion from membership benefits. This research examines whether students face inclusion or exclusion in panethnic student organizations based on national origin, social class, or immigrant generation, and if so, the implications for students. Three questions guide this research: 1) What types of support do panethnic student organizations provide for students? 2) What distinctions are used for inclusion or exclusion? 3) How does the enforcement of symbolic boundaries aid or hinder students in accessing information and resources beneficial for education? Data comes from 65 in-depth interviews with Asian and Latiné students, participant observations, and text-based sources. Findings show students join panethnic organizations to maintain an attachment to their heritage group, while gaining access to tangible and intangible benefits available through organization events and membership ties, all of which benefit students’ education. However, benefits are only accessible to Asian students whose ancestry is tied to East Asia and Latiné students of Mexican descent or who assimilate into a Mexican-based understanding of Latiné. Findings shed light on college students who face further marginalization in seemingly inclusive spaces.

Author

• Melissa Garcia, Indiana University