Navigating Educational Spaces of Whiteness: Latina/o Student Experiences at Predominately White Institutions

Abstract

The alarming numbers of Latino/a students graduating from four year institutions continues to be low and while access has improved there still lies an issue in that the number of students graduating has not increased (Otero, Rivas & Rivera, 2007; Watkins, Labarrie & Appio 2010; Jones, Castellanos & Cole 2002) Latina/o undergraduate students are positioned in relation to the White dominant student population at Predominately White Institutions (PWIs), which, in many ways silences their voices and thus maintains an educational space of Whiteness. The purpose of this study is to understand and highlight the experiences of Latina/os, particularly the ways in which they navigate through PWIs. Testimonio, a narrative of marginalization, has been recognized as a way to collect qualitative data from students. Through this genre and a Critical Race Theory and Latina/o Critical Race Theory framework, the author examines and shares student experiences to do what? (Delgado & Stefancic, 2012; Peréz Huber & Cueva, 2012). Testimonio is used as a methodology to co-conduct a research process that engages the researcher, and 10 students as the participants to share educational experiences. Students positioned themselves as distant from the university and understood educational spaces of Whiteness to be spaces of financial access and white student serving. As such, Latina/o students navigate the spaces through community support and avoiding unwelcoming spaces throughout the larger institution.