"If You're Latino, You're Not Really Expected to Go to College": Latino Men's Psychosociocultural Resilience

• In Event: Beyond Enrollment: Latinx Belonging, Resilience, and Justice in Higher Education

Abstract

Through a phenomenological approach, this study highlights how 34 Latino men transfer students across California, Florida, and Texas develop and utilize resilience in higher education through the Psychosociocultural (PSC) framework (Gloria & Rodriguez, 2000). Using two-phase coding analysis of 68 semi-structured interviews, the research reveals two key themes: Latino men transform societal and familial skepticism into psychological motivation for academic persistence while maintaining cultural identity, and they benefit from multifaceted mentorship that provides comprehensive support addressing academic and cultural needs. Findings demonstrate how Latino men leverage cultural assets like familismo as sources of strength. The study contributes to reimagining educational success by positioning Latino men's experiences as generative knowledge that inform culturally sustaining pedagogies and institutional reforms in higher education.

Authors

• Catherine Restrepo-Widney, Florida Atlantic University

• Cristobal Salinas Jr, Florida Atlantic University

• Sara E. Rodriguez, University of Texas - El Paso

• Marissa Vasquez, San Diego State University