Black and Latino Male Positionality in Narratives of Transition to Community College

• In Event: Race/Ethnicity and the College Student Experience

Abstract

There is an ever-widening educational achievement gap between the Black and Latino men and their female counterparts, with females outpacing males. This study examined the narratives of Black and Latino men as they transitioned from high school to two-year colleges in Houston, TX utilizing longitudinal, qualitative data from the Center for Community College Student Engagement. The findings indicate that understanding student positionality is critical to understanding student success and responses to institutional structures. Black and Latino males may also inhabit a troubled positionality in that expected normative student performances hinder their development. This study fills an important gap in the literature by examining Black and Latino males’ experiences and providing policy and practice implications.

Authors

• Beth E. Bukoski, University of Louisville

• Deryl Keith Hatch, University of Nebraska-Lincoln