“I am Not a Failure”: Embracing the Assets of Latinas in Continuation High Schools

ABSTRACT

This study centers the experiences of 9 Latinas enrolled in a continuation high school. This study attempts to understand how this continuation school engages with Latinas and attempts to improve their conditions and opportunities in this marginalized sector that is overrepresented with racially minoritized youth. Despite all the challenges they have encountered, their resiliency and agency was evident in their narratives as they remain hopeful and opmistic about their education and future. This study offers recommendations for continuation high schools on how to engage and support the educational aspirations of Latinas.

KEYWORDS:

• Latinas
• education
• continuation high schools
• narratives
• qualitative research

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Office of Student Research: Faculty/Student Grant at California State University, San Bernardino for supporting this study. They would also like to express their sincere gratitude to all the students who participated in this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

¹ All names of individuals, schools, and communities are pseudonyms.