Keywords
Community cultural wealth; Cultural pluralism; Dropouts — Prevention; Hispanic American dropouts – Prevention; Latin American students; Latino education; Multicultural education
Abstract
The Latino population is the largest minority group in the United States (Quijada & Alvarez, 2006) and has the highest high school dropout rate of any ethnic group (American Council on Education, 2008). If the U.S. is to compete in the global economy, it is important to understand factors that facilitate or hider the academic performance of Latino students. This qualitative study provides rich narratives on how Latino students used community cultural wealth, including knowledge, skills, abilities and networks, to excel in educational settings and overcome obstacles. A total of 15 individuals participated in the study. Findings suggest that Latino students overcome structural and cultural obstacles using various forms of community cultural wealth. In addition, the article provides recommendations based on participant’s experiences and previous research to increase Latino students’ success. It is the hope of the authors that findings from the present study will provide insight into the factors that facilitate Latino student success.
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