Navigating Pathways of Higher Education: The Cultural Wealth of Second-Generation Latina Immigrant Students

This qualitative study examined how second-generation Latina immigrant students navigated to and through higher education, drawing on their community cultural wealth at a Hispanic-serving institution in South Central Texas. This study draws on interviews with nine second-generation Latina immigrant students (U.S.-born children of immigrants) and participant observation data collected on campus with four focal students. Findings show how second-generation Latina immigrant students who were also first-generation college students used their community cultural wealth (CCW) to navigate their postsecondary pathways. Students drew on their familial, aspirational, and linguistic capital. Implications for future research and practices are discussed.