Transfronterizx Identity Development: A Photovoice Grounded Theory Model of College Students at the Borderlands

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 1:45 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Roundtable Session 10: Student Learning and Development in College and Beyond

Abstract

This photovoice constructivist grounded theory study illustrates the intersections and developmental processes of a transborder identity among 32 current and former Transfronterizx students in postsecondary and higher education at the San Diego–Tijuana border. Through 11 focus groups, 20 interviews, and 691 photographs, I examined psychosocial and cognitive-structural factors shaping their social identities. The resulting model, grounded in participants’ thoughts, feelings, and experiences, highlights five in-vivo themes: (1) “We Speak English, We Speak Spanish, We Speak Spanglish,” (2) “Soy De Aquí y Soy de Allá,” (3) “Building Bridges, Not Walls,” (4) “We Have to Adapt to Live in These Situations,” and (5) “Las Ganas de Salir Adelante.” The study discusses implications for research, policy, and practice during COVID-19 realities.

Author

• Vannessa Falcón Orta, San Diego State University