The Role of Retention, Sense of Belonging, and Culturally Responsive Practices in HSIs: Testimonios of First-Generation Hispanic College Students in the Southwestern United States

• In Event: Expanding Intersectional Belonging and Agency in Higher Education Settings

Abstract

This qualitative study using testimonios as the mode of inquiry explored the experiences
of first-generation Hispanic students in an HSI in the Southwestern region of the United States. This study used Tara Yosso’s community cultural wealth as a theoretical framework. Emergent themes included the value of family support, resource allocation, home culture, and home language. By understanding what first-generation Hispanic students face in college, we, as educational leaders, can help to create and sustain the structures and supports needed to assist them as they navigate new terrains of university life.

Authors

• Debbie Giron, New Mexico State University

• Kristin L. Kew, New Mexico State University