Community College Journeys of Hispanic ESL Women

Abstract

The community college is the primary path that Hispanic students choose to start their college careers. Americans who speak English as their second language will continue to grow and require community colleges to offer more culturally diverse educational programs with specific resources devoted to them. This qualitative study was comprised of 11 nontraditional Hispanic women who were English as a second language (ESL) speakers and first generation college students enrolled in a community college in the Southwest. These women were two years or more post high school graduation. The study explored difficulties of college acculturation of these Hispanic participants. Three 90-minute interviews per participant were structured to mirror the students’ backgrounds and experiences. A focus group was conducted after the individual interviews. The focus group allowed the researcher to contextualize the participants’ voices through dialogue with other women. The data provided six main themes that impacted the success of these women’s entry into the community college environment: personal attributes; home culture and language; support, opposition, and tradition; discrimination and equity issues; building connections and mentors; and college experience and instruction. This research increased awareness of the struggles that these women faced to attend college. The women described the importance of maintaining focus on their goals and found ways to succeed academically. Community colleges must embrace the multicultural backgrounds of students who are first-generation, nontraditional Hispanic women and provide opportunities for them to succeed in college.