Examining Latina/o Students’ Experiences of Injustice: LatCrit Insights from a Texas High School

ABSTRACT

We used Latina/Latino Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) to re-analyze survey and interview data from earlier research in which we found that Latina/o students reported less positive experiences than other students in this high school. We found racial injustice in class enrollments, in students’ experiences with stereotypes and prejudice, in student-teacher relationships, and in school policies and norms. LatCrit principles illustrate interconnections among racism, interest convergence, and colorblindness that create racial injustice for Latinas/os. We argue that counterstorytelling could emerge to resist that injustice and that educators must understand how racism functions in their schools and interrogate relevant policies and norms.

KEYWORDS:

• critical race theory
• engagement
• equity
• high school
• Latinos
• racism

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Ramon Griffin for assisting in data analysis.

Funding

This research was funded by a dissertation fellowship from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and by Michigan State University’s Education Policy Center.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by a dissertation fellowship from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and by Michigan State University’s Education Policy Center.