What Do I Do Now? Latino Combat Veterans’ Experiences Enrolling in Higher Education

• In Event: Racialized Power and Control in P-20: Navigating Complex Educational Journeys of Latina/o/x

Abstract

While the experiences of Latino men in higher education have been studied, an area of research that remains scarce is examining first generation Latino student veterans' collegiate journeys. This work, through a Veteran Critical Theory (VCT) framework, explores the experiences of Latinos combat veterans transitioning out of the service and into higher education. The experiential knowledge of twelve Latino combat veterans is shared via pláticas about their experiences as veterans after their Expiration Term of Service (ETS). Interview data was analyzed via multiple levels of coding resulting in three major findings demonstrating incongruencies both in the service and after: i) misinformation about the G.I Bill, ii) incomplete veteran services at the Community College level, and iii) familial and peer support.

Authors

• Pedro Martinez, California State University - Fresno

• Luis Fernando Macias, California State University - Fresno