Description
This is a study of 10 resilient Chicano/Latino men who reconstruct their gender and ethnic identity to ultimately attain transfer success from Urban Community College. The study provides insight into the impact institutional and external factors have on identity development that supports transfer. In addition, this study responds to the published literature indicating Latinos experience the lowest transition rate at each stage of the educational pipeline. The result is a documented crisis of the vanishing Latino male in higher education. Phenomenology was the qualitative research methodology that dictated the strategies of inquiry and procedures guiding the design and execution of this study. The participants in this study involved 10 Chicano men at Urban Community College in southern California. The data collection for this study involved document analysis, individual interviews, and a focus group. The two theoretical perspectives I used for this study were Critical Race Theory and Validation Theory. The four thematic categories that captured the shared experiences of the 10 transfer bound Chicano/Latino men are the following: (a) disorientation and shock; (b) los caminos del hombre; (c) intervention of elders; and (d) resilience and recommitment. Early education socialization was found to be a significant impact in the participants' academic preparation and masculine identity development. The data also revealed the lack of masculine identity validation within the academic pathway. As a result, nontraditional validating agents played a significant role in affirming Chicano men's intelligence. success of Chicano/Latino men in community colleges, especially as it pertains to gender success of Chicano/Latino men in community colleges, especially as it pertains to gender and ethnic identity development for incoming students. Recommendations for implementation and future research are offered.
