Description
The number of students of color entering four-year universities is disproportionately low. Many more white students attend four-year universities compared to minority students, which suggests that the application of stratifying practices has systematically funneled students of color away from higher education. In this study I use of concepts of cultural capital and marginal identities among undergraduate level minority students to better understand the agency of those who challenge their ascribed boundaries while integrating the use of marginal identities as a strategy for academic success. For the purpose of this study I refer to students with "marginal identities" as "cultural navigators". Using a qualitative approach, I add a voice to this discussion by interviewing nine undergraduate students of color in San Diego County. During these interviews I will note tools or strategies that students have used to help them navigate their lives within the conflicting cultures of home life and school life. Some key themes that emerged from this study found that students revealed having a strong family support system, strategic cultural capital, identities in flux, and developed a sophisticated critical consciousness.
