WP3: The Unknown Side to First-Generation Latinx College Students

Link to WP3: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xC5oTFIukzBh_v1ns0vo3uR_Pz4mvSFdan6V2pL-DSs/edit

Over the years, there’s been a staggering increase in the number of Latinx students who are the first in their families to attend college. It’s something that is truly exhilarating to see, recognizing that as time passes by, more students like me are working towards achieving the dreams and aspirations that have been passed on to us from generations before us. It’s great to witness how more institutions are each year admitting more students like me; however, countless times they post these first-generation students on their social media pages or, at times, display the statistics of the number of first-generation students they admit each year just to portray an image of themselves as inclusive and diverse. I’ve acknowledged that a community that once was oppressed and not even taken into consideration is finally being taken care of. However, before we show how great of an advancement this is, there’s so much more that needs to be worked on and realized before displaying such advancements. Behind those smiling faces of students who get their picture taken by universities to show off their diversity, or behind the statistics and numbers of the number of students that are admitted each year from such a demographic, exist countless stories of struggling Latinx first-generation college students whose stories are unheard of. Stories of which are of significant importance and relevance, and that just as everything else that is shown to the public by these universities, so should their stories. These stories not only reflect and share the struggles these group of students and I have been through, but overall shows the standing of an entire community that has been struggling and oppressed for many generations, and it so happens that in the generation that these students are in, is when they finally have the opportunity to be the first in their family to attend college. Students who are the firsts in their families to attend college carry the existential pressure of many generations that have worked towards this moment to finally get out of the oppressive system and become a citizen working a job that is well paying and respected. I believe that it is of great importance that as a society we take a more in-depth look into the identity perspective of this matter, who are these students and what do they think like, the lack of resources that students from such demographic groups face, and lastly, the broken system that has been in place and is finally opening up to students that are first-generation Latinx.

It is known that students who are Latinx first-generation college students have undergone so many struggles and have faced so many obstacles to be exactly where they are today, studying at institutions that no one in their family has ever had the opportunity to attend. It all may seem notable, but so much more goes on behind closed doors. An astronomical amount of guilt is what many students feel for leaving their parents who have for so long relied on their English skills to get them through a country that may be so foreign to them, and also having parents who may be somewhat unsupportive and may view this as a way that is completely contrary of what the purpose of pursuing higher education may be. One of the articles I found that exemplifies this issue was “Challenges and Strategies for Assisting Latino Students With College Access and Completion,” by the Independent Educational Consultants Association. The overall point of this article was to highlight all the struggles that such students face, and it even offers strategies in ways in which such issues relating to being the first generation could be fixed. One of the quotes that I found to be most valuable from this source was when the author states that, “Parents may also fear they may “lose” their children to another culture or that they will not come back home after college.” In practical terms, parents may not want their children to attend college because they want or need them to work and support the family financially” (Lincoln). This is something very common that happens in Hispanic households, this being so because generally, the Hispanic community is very important on the topic of family, so leaving one’s family may be viewed by some as something scary and not right. Now, as this article stated, there’s a fear that exists where they fear that they may lose their child to another culture and that I believe in that case because when attending a predominantly white institution and trying to get a higher education to better yourself, parents may see this as a way in which their children are leaving their culture behind to fulfill the so-called, “American Dream,” basically meaning that their children are doing everything they possibly can to live a stable life that their parents, unfortunately, had to work very hard towards to achieve.

Many Latinx first-generation students know exactly this feeling, a feeling of guilt and betrayal for leaving their parents behind, and the article, “Addressing Barriers Confronting First-Generation College Students from Hispanic Families” by the University of California, Los Angeles, addresses this issue by stating that, “In some instances, parents may feel the student’s decision to seek higher education is selfish and reflects a lack of respect or appreciation for the family; they may even feel it is an indication that the youngster is ashamed of his/her background.” (Addressing Barriers.). Such a statement is very accurate, and that is something that many parents feel when their child is leaving home for college. Yes, parents are proud that their children are trying to better themselves. Still, at the same time, they are upset because many times these children are the same ones that had to grow up from such a young age to help their parents do everything they could not do, such as reading mail that came in that was in English. Parents may see this as some sort of betrayal, and it is completely understandable because since the parents of these students did not attend a university, they may see it as a way in which they are not satisfied with the lifestyle they currently have at home and are ashamed of their current living situation.

Further on, this sense of guilt is existent in the lives of these students, something that they have to carry every day of their academic career, something that many times is disregarded and not taken into consideration by people. The article, The Guilt of Success: Looking at Latino First-Generation College Students’ Experience of Leaving Home by Rosean Moreno shows in depth the perspectives of these students and what they have to go through by sharing the personal stories of many Latinx first-generation students. When questioning one of the interviewees, she explained the amount of guilt she faced when leaving home. The author later uses the shared experiences to state that, “Along with guilt comes the feeling of being selfish and self-centered, particularly in Latino culture, which prides itself on family and community and being close to both (Hayes Bautista, 1998). However, it is evident based on the above quotations that these individuals knew their families were facing difficult times, yet they did what was best for them. This, in turn, could be the cause of their guilt.” (Moreno). This statement reinforces this idea, but it also shows how although these students may be perceived as selfish and self-centered, they are starting to realize that this is an attachment that people from the Latinx community typically have, and that to follow one’s dreams and aspirations, they must get rid of that attachment not necessarily because they don’t like the attachment they have with their families, but rather because to grow up as a person and be someone with a career, you must do so. In the interviews I held for my second writing project, one of my interviewees, Valeria from Chicago, IL, shared her experiences with being the first generation and moving across the country. Remarkably, she shared how it is something that till this day she feels very guilty about, this being so because she would always help her parents who do not speak English with any paperwork help they needed, not only that but she also helped them take care of her younger siblings while her parents were at work. Now, when you see Valeria walking through the University of Southern California, you don’t necessarily see this. However, it’s something that not only her but many other students at this university and thousands of others have to carry with them. Although programs exist to help people from my background cope with such guilt, it is not enough. More people should be aware of this issue, and no, I’m not necessarily asking for people to feel pity for these students, but to understand us, and to see us as something more than a statistic or a number, we are people who have done so much to be part of this community, and our voices should be heard.

Latinx first-generation college students face many issues regarding guilt due to how close our culture typically is. Still, another thing that these students have to deal with is the lack of resources that exists when trying to get into a four-year university. These students not only have to deal with not having anyone at home that could help them fill out papers but also have to worry a lot about the financial hardships attending a university may bring along. When reading the previously mentioned article by the University of California, Los Angeles, something I noted was that “The cost of these academic obligations is a burden for many Hispanic families. Students often do not want to add to their family’s financial struggles by taking an accelerated class that requires numerous books and technological equipment” (Addressing Barriers). This once again ties back to the guilt that these students carry, but this time precisely, something that is especially pointed out is the amount of worry they have to make their parents go through financial hardship to obtain their education. If these students knew about such programs that exist, some of these conflicts wouldn’t exist, but still, so much can be done by universities and high schools to make sure that first-generation students can do the best they can to obtain a low-cost higher education. Most of these students who are first-generation not only carry the guilt of leaving a family that relies on them but also have to worry about paying for an education that for the majority of the time cannot be afforded, it is of value that people are aware of this and that they try to help these students with the resources that no one ever presented to them, or at least value the amounts of work they’ve put in to be in the place they are today. Many families are unaware of the current resources that exist, for example, one being the Pell Grant, and students have no one that could lead them to such benefits that exist. The only thing they are led on with is the idea that “Latinos could be quite hesitant about utilizing loans — even for college” (Lincoln). If these students were to know of such programs, students like me wouldn’t have to carry the pressure of trying to obtain an education for a low price, knowing that families wouldn’t have to carry the burden of having to utilize loans, something that typically Latino parents are very hesitant about, well it can be noted that many of these parents do not speak English or have minimum education that would prohibit them for understanding the paperwork that comes along with taking out a loan. Many students are fortunate enough to have parents that have attended college and understand how such a system works. Still, for us, this system is so foreign to us, something that we must learn to navigate with barely any help from anyone. When reading the book, “Barriers to Educational Opportunities for Hispanics in the United States,” by Barbara Schneider, it was of great relevance when Schneider shared that, “The confluence of limited English proficiency, low educational attainment, and other economic resources hinder many Hispanic parents from engaging their children in early literacy activities that are important for later academic success.” (Schneider). Knowing that this issue begins from a young age, is something that is something that universities and people, in general, should take into consideration because Latinx first-generation students have to work hard from a very young age to obtain the opportunity to attend a university. Not only does this hinder them from the millions of other applicants, but it puts them in a spot of great disadvantage where they are at times unfortunately where people from my community decide that college is not for them simply because they don’t understand how to get around all the obstacles that we must face. If from a young age these students were supported by their families, none of this would have been an issue, but unfortunately, that is not something that could be fulfilled as easily as it sounds, for that reason, schools from a young age must begin sharing this information with parents and try to teach these students the importance of pursuing their dreams, even when no one in their family has ever strived for them, do not let yourself settle down for something that you know your parents have worked so hard for you not to go through.

Many of the issues these students face are due to the background they come from, but another problem is how the education system is set up. A system that has for so many years been broken and that has worked towards oppressing low-income communities and diminishing the intelligence of people of color and women. This was something that stood out to me when reading the book “On the Borders of the Academy: Challenges and Strategies for First-Generation Graduate Students and Faculty” by Alecea Ritter Standlee, who used this book as an outlet to speak out about the education system and how over the years it has begun to change. She states that the education system has been built upon a principle of denying “again and again” higher education for marginalized groups, which is something that I completely agree with, it is known that many institutions take in students who have legacy already at the school, or prefer students who come from upper-class backgrounds. How are first-generation Latino students supposed to not only try their best in school and perceive through all the struggles they must face but then be faced with another obstacle with the education system they have such hard work towards getting into? This system must be changed not only for the benefit of Latino students but for all marginalized groups, who day by day have worked towards breaking the systemic barriers that have been put in place to hinder them from success. Standlee also states that “At the same time that they struggle to support and integrate first-generation students, institutions are faced with political and financial coercion to reinforce and even recreate barriers to upward mobility.” This statement is an excellent example that although some schools are trying to integrate these groups of students who have unfortunately been oppressed for a very long time, there are still many people that are fighting towards keeping this broken system in place. This system is most likely set up for their benefit.

Coming into an institution like the University of Southern California, I knew that it would not be an easy transition, especially for me, a low-income first-generation Latino college student who is not what is typically accepted at a predominantly white institution. It has not only been hard for me, but for thousands of others who are living the current situation as me, and it is of great importance that students that come from a similar demographic as me get taken into consideration and that our stories are not only shared for the sake of portraying an institution that is diverse and to build a good reputation, but rather to share the inspiring stories we each have to share that all lead up to what generations before us have worked so hard towards for someone in the family to achieve, achieve the so-called “American Dream,” a dream that has been full of obstacles and oppression, but that as a community we have worked so hard towards achieving.

Works Cited

Addressing Barriers Confronting First-Generation College … http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/firstgen.pdf.

“Challenges and Strategies for Assisting Latino Students with College Access and Completion.” Independent Education Consultants Association, 22 Jan. 2019, www.iecaonline.com/quick-links/ieca-news-center/resource-library/college-focused-publications/challenges-and-strategies-for-assisting-latino-students-with-college-access-and-completion/.

Delgado, Vanessa. “Decoding the Hidden Curriculum: Latino/a First-Generation College Students’ Influence on Younger Siblings’ Educational Trajectory.” Taylor & Francis Online, 23 Sept. 2020, www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15348431.2020.1801439.

Domenech Rodriguez, Melanie M. “Parenting Styles in a Cultural Context: Observations of ‘Protective Parenting’ in First-Generation Latinos.” Wiley Online Library, 19 May 2009, https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.libproxy1.usc.edu/doi/full/10.1111/j.1545-5300.2009.01277.x.

Lopez, Valeria, and Martin Flores. “The Lives of First Generation Students.” 12 Oct. 2021.

Moreno, Rosean. The Guilt of Success: Looking at Latino First Generation College Students and the Guilt They Face from Leaving Their Home and Community to Pursue College. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2016.

Schhneider, Barbara. “Barriers to Educational Opportunities for Hispanics in the United States.” Hispanics and the Future of America., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Jan. 1970, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK19909/.

Standlee, Alecea Ritter. On the Borders of the Academy: Challenges and Strategies for First-Generation Graduate Students and Faculty. Graduate School Press of Syracuse University, 2018.