Second generation Sub-Saharan African youth: Parental and family influences on post-secondary educational achievement in Canada

• In Event: AER Roundtable Session Friday 1:45 pm - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Critical Issues in Contemporary Education Across Nations

Abstract

This research project is part of a larger federally funded Canadian study called PRAN (Partnership for Research with African Newcomers). The purpose of this qualitative research project was to explore how second generation Sub-Saharan African youth navigate post-secondary education and the influence that their parents and families have on their achievement motivation. This study was grounded in intersecting frameworks of critical race theory and intersectionality theory. Thirty-five (35) second-generation Sub-Saharan African youth attending four-year post-secondary institutions in Ontario were interviewed for this study. The findings indicated they faced high parental expectations to succeed academically. Although they experienced racism and racial microaggressions, their intentional acts of resistance fostered their resilience.

Author

• Alana C. Butler, Queen's University - Kingston