Welcome
“The question is no longer simply one of minority access, it is how to help students survive and thrive in an academic environment” (Campa, 2010).
This website is designed to be a resource for student affairs professionals and anyone else who works with first-generation Mexican-American college students. This student subpopulation faces numerous barriers to higher education access and success. First-generation Mexican-American students benefit from culturally competent support services and professionals who are willing and capable to advocate for their unique needs. Latinos accounted for more than half of U.S. population growth over the past decade, with Latinos now constituting approximately 16% of the nation's total population (Reddy, 2011). As a group, Mexican immigrants are less likely than other immigrants—including those from other Latin American countries—to attend college and persist to graduation (Baum & Flores, 2011).
To help student affairs professionals and other educators best serve first-generation Mexican-American students, this website contains information about these students, key concepts and student development theories, and a guide to other relevant resources. We hope you find information here that helps you provide culturally competent services, support, and advocacy for first-generation Mexican-American college students.
Thank you,
Caitlin Blomquist and Melissa Archuleta
Student Development Administration Master’s Program
Seattle University
This website is designed to be a resource for student affairs professionals and anyone else who works with first-generation Mexican-American college students. This student subpopulation faces numerous barriers to higher education access and success. First-generation Mexican-American students benefit from culturally competent support services and professionals who are willing and capable to advocate for their unique needs. Latinos accounted for more than half of U.S. population growth over the past decade, with Latinos now constituting approximately 16% of the nation's total population (Reddy, 2011). As a group, Mexican immigrants are less likely than other immigrants—including those from other Latin American countries—to attend college and persist to graduation (Baum & Flores, 2011).
To help student affairs professionals and other educators best serve first-generation Mexican-American students, this website contains information about these students, key concepts and student development theories, and a guide to other relevant resources. We hope you find information here that helps you provide culturally competent services, support, and advocacy for first-generation Mexican-American college students.
Thank you,
Caitlin Blomquist and Melissa Archuleta
Student Development Administration Master’s Program
Seattle University
References
Baum, S., & Flores, S. M. (2011). Higher education and children in immigrant families. The Future of Children, 21(1), 171-193. Retrieved from www.futureofchildren.org
Reddy, S. (2011, March 25). Latinos fuel growth in decade. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/home-page
Reddy, S. (2011, March 25). Latinos fuel growth in decade. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/home-page