More Than Money: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and the Multiple Dimensions of Social Mobility

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Thursday 2:15pm
  In Poster Session: Division G VP Session: The Social Context of Education and MSI's

Abstract

Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) are touted as engines of social mobility, propelling the economic advancement of low-income students (Espinosa et al., 2018). Yet, social mobility also encompasses overlooked dimensions that reflect a sense of empowerment among historically marginalized communities. While many Latine and low-income students pursue college for social mobility, their conceptions often reflect desires to “give back” to families and communities (Cuellar et al., 2022; Perez Huber et al., 2018; Reyes, 2025). We thus explore how HSI and non-HSI alumni fare on a set of social mobility measures that tap into the transformative potential of education.

Authors

• Marcela G. Cuellar, University of California - Davis

• Isabella D.C. Herrera, University of California - Davis