Constructing Futures: Immigrant Youth and the Strategic Use of Capital in a Community-Based Organization

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 7:45 am - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Youth and Advancing Family-School Partnerships

Abstract

This instrumental case study examines how Desarrollo, a community-based organization led by Hispanic adults, supports Hispanic immigrant youth in meeting postsecondary goals. Using the concepts of community cultural wealth (Yosso), institutional agents (Stanton-Salazar), and college capital (Varghese & Fuente), the study explores how youth identify and leverage specific forms of capital from Desarrollo alongside their own social networks. Findings show Desarrollo promotes college as the optimal path to mobility, with adult leaders playing various roles as institutional agents. While youth strategically enact various forms of capital, the organization’s meritocratic framing may limit support for youth with fewer resources or non-college postsecondary goals. The study highlights both the empowering potential and structural tensions of CBOs in shaping postsecondary transitions for immigrant youth.

Author

• Staci Pippin-Kottkamp, University of Maryland