BackHome
Refresh: Off
Paper Summary
Share...

Direct link:

Navigating the 2024 Election: Latine Students Identity, HSI Connection and Persistence Through Video Counter-Storytelling

Wed, April 8, 9:45 to 11:15am PDT (9:45 to 11:15am PDT), JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, Floor: 2nd Floor, Platinum J

Abstract

Objective and Background
Latine undergraduate students are facing heightened pressures given the present socio-political environment. Federal policies and directives have targeted various Latine communities (queer, undocumented, and farmworker) in education and beyond. Within higher education, specifically Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs), these realities can shape how institutions engage with and serve Latine students, which in turn can influence whether students have validating or invalidating experiences (Garcia et al., 2019). This paper examines how the 2024 presidential election impacted the experiences of identity and belonging among Latine undergraduate students at an HSI.

Theoretical Framework
This paper draws on the Multidimensional Conceptual Framework of Servingness, which highlights how distal (external influences and structures) and immediate forces (academic/non-academic outcomes and student experiences) influence HSIs servingness (Garcia et al., 2019). The paper also draws on critical race methodology in education, which aims to understand the experiences of students of color along the educational pipeline (Solórzano & Yosso, 2002). This methodology centralizes asset-based approaches, such as counter-storytelling, and works to challenge dominant narratives that sustain the unjustified exclusion of minoritized populations (Delgado et al., 2012; Solórzano & Yosso, 2002).

Methods & Data
Researchers conducted a daily diary study with 8 Latine undergraduate students (n = 17 pre-attrition) attending an HSI in California. The daily diary study took place over 2 weeks, during the 2024 election and one week after the election. Students recorded a 5–10-minute video diary where they answered two questions: How did your Latinx identity become apparent in your school experiences today? How did these experiences shape your sense of connection within the school community? They then completed an ethnic-racial identity scale (Douglass & Umaña-Taylor, 2015). We employed a three-level (open, axial, and selective) inductive approach to analyze the video diary data (Bogdan & Biklen, 2016). A codebook was used to identify, name, and keep track of codes (Saldaña, 2021).

Results
Analyses of the video diaries revealed that participants struggled to make sense of the presidential election in relation to their identities and communities. Participants initially experienced disillusionment, yet as time went on, they revealed fear of what this meant for themselves specifically educational access, but also possible risk of deportation for their family and friends. For some, it also amplified experiences of racism and changed how they thought about what it means to be Latine. Regarding institutional servingness, participants appreciated efforts that acknowledged the challenging socio-political environment, which made them feel recognized and validated. Overall, analyses suggest that personal and societal dilemmas relate to Latine student persistence.

Significance
The study highlights video counter-storytelling as a tool for understanding the lived experiences of Latinx undergraduates during challenging socio-political events. Further, this study highlights how the socio-political environment can intensify the racialized experiences of Latine students. Policy implications include the need for higher education institutions to acknowledge these racially charged events and implement a plan to mitigate student social-emotional responses that supports Latine educational persistence.

Authors