Reimagining Belonging: Latinx and AfroLatiné Resistance, Identity, and Persistence Across Educational Spaces

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 9:45 am

Session Type: Roundtable Session

Abstract

This roundtable brings together four studies that center Latinx and AfroLatiné students’ lived experiences, agency, and belonging across K–16 educational contexts. The papers collectively challenge deficit narratives by illuminating how students navigate systemic inequities while cultivating community and cultural affirmation. Topics include the complex transfer experiences of Latino men in the Nuevo South, culturally responsive approaches to addressing chronic absenteeism among Latino high school students, and the nuanced identities of multiracial Latinx college students negotiating belonging in cultural centers. Complementing these, an AfroLatiné student’s narrative in music education highlights the intersections of race, culture, and artistic expression as sites of resistance. Together, these papers advance equity-driven frameworks that reimagine belonging, identity, and transformation in education.

Sub Unit

• SIG-Latina/o/x Research Issues

Chair

• Sylvia Martinez, Indiana University

Papers

• The Role of Culture Centers for Multiracial Latinx Students - Sylvia Martinez, Indiana University

• Understanding Chronic Absenteeism Among Latino High School Students: Uncovering Root Causes Beyond - Paola Suchsland, California State University - Fullerton; Sally Jarvis-Lubbe, California State University - Fullerton

• Latino Men’s Vertical Transfer Outcomes and Experiences in the Nuevo South - Carmen Serrata, University of North Carolina - Charlotte; Sandra L. Dika, University of North Carolina - Charlotte; Onima Vadakke Thodiyil, University of North Carolina - Charlotte

• I Play, Therefore I Am: Sounding AfroLatiné Identity Through Cultural Musics - Marjoris V. Regus, Rutgers University