Un Mejor Futuro: The College Sensemaking of Latino Parents with Elementary School-Aged Children

Abstract

This qualitative case study of parents in a single metropolitan school district explored how Latino/a parents with elementary school aged children conceptualized and framed college. It employed a funds of knowledge framework (Moll et al., 1992; Velez-Ibanez & Greenberg, 1992) to understand college knowledge, families framing of college, and the collective sensemaking of the community. Archival data, interviews, participant observations, and field notes were gathered to explore parents/guardians’ beliefs, opinions, and values and whether and how they are shaped by educational attainment, language, and immigrant generation status. Findings revealed that families adopted a meritocratic belief even when families encountered systemic structures of inequality. Hard work did not necessarily translate into college. Yet, families actively engaged, strategized, prepared, and collectively planned how to make college a possibility. This study is significant as it provides an opportunity to document the process of parent’s college sensemaking, sheds light on Latino/a college choice models and types of institutions, and provides a deeper exploration of college preparation from a funds of knowledge approach. This work contributes to previous research utilizing funds of knowledge in order to further differentiate among levels of knowledge in Latino/a communities, focusing on variations by language preference, generational status, educational attainment.