Date of Award

Fall 9-5-2025

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Guadalupe López Hernández

Abstract

Extent scholarship has provided insight into how Latinx adolescents actively experience exclusion. These adolescents are often the targets of microaggressions tied to their language (Gonzalez et al., 2018), ethnicity, race, and intersecting identities--such as being bilingual Latinx students--which serve as reminders that they do not belong. However, little is known about Spanish-English bilingual Latinx adolescents and how their heritage language plays a role in predominantly white spaces and institutions. This convergent parallel mixed methods study explored how Spanish-English bilingual Latinx students in the Midwest described their experiences in a predominantly white institution (PWI). A total of 42 Spanish-English bilingual Latinx students (M age = 19.4; SD = 1.50) participated in a quantitative survey that assessed their skills in reading, writing, speaking, and understanding Spanish and English as well as their experiences on campus and with their culture. Additionally, 12 out of the 42 participants were interviewed to understand their experiences in a PWI. Findings revealed that the participants self-reported being more skilled in English, which influenced their belonging to the university. At the same time, through qualitative interviews, patterns showcase that the participants sought out social and academic spaces that promoted Spanish use, which consequently served as spaces of belonging. Overall, results captured how the bilingual Latinx students used Spanish on campus to navigate being in a PWI, but oftentimes faced exclusionary instances that impacted their overall experiences of belonging to campus. This work has implications for understanding how to identify, design, and foster safe and welcoming spaces that promote the use of the Latinx heritage language, as it can help Latinx students navigate experiences of exclusion and belonging in college.

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