Later-Generation Mexican-American Undergraduate Stages of Passage and the Development of a Transformational Impetus

Abstract

Race and immigrant generation are among the most important factors that shape educational opportunities and outcomes in U.S. society. While sociological researchers point to downward mobility after the second generation among Mexican-Americans, there is limited empirical attention to the role that generational status may play in shaping post-secondary educational experiences and outcomes. Drawing on the under-utilized Undergraduate States of Passage Model advanced by Yosso (2006), this study qualitatively examines the experiences of later-generation Mexican-American students. Findings indicate that later-generation Mexican-American college students experienced unique challenges to building counter spaces with other Latinos on campus. Yet, participants consistently described a desire to transform, which I call a “transformational impetus.” Implications for post-secondary persistence among Mexican-American collegians are discussed, as are implications for advancing racial justice for the Latina/o/x population more broadly.