"Never Going to Be My Family": Race, Class, and Belonging Among First-Generation College Students

• In Event: First-Generation Students Navigating Higher Education

Abstract

Drawing upon in-depth interviews with first generation college students attending a predominantly White, private, small liberal arts college, this paper explores the factors that shape a sense of belonging amongst students from different racial and class backgrounds. White middle-income students were much more likely to experience a robust sense of belonging, while students of color tended to find social belonging in niches but struggled to develop a full campus-wide belonging. The low-income White students varied between a full and partial campus-wide belonging. Through highlighting the range of experiences within the first generation population, this paper documents the ways that race and class uniquely influence first generation students’ feelings of belonging, which can then impact their educational experiences and outcomes.

Author

• Jesse Moya, Siena College