Race and Racism: Latina/o College Students on Identity and Discrimination in Higher Education

This paper examines the relationship between anti-Latino discrimination in higher education, racial ideologies, and racial identification among Latina/o college students. Building on previous research which has examined how... [ view full abstract ]

This paper examines the relationship between anti-Latino discrimination in higher education, racial ideologies, and racial identification among Latina/o college students. Building on previous research which has examined how Latino identity labels often reflect a racial hierarchy through social "distancing" or "disassociation," my research finds that Latinos in white spaces like universities negotiate identity labels to claim a space of belonging in the institution and to gain a sense of personal respect. I conduct ethnographic observation and interviews with members of Latina/o fraternities and sororities to examine the intersectional dynamics between class and gender that come to the forefront among Latina/o students at historically white universities.