<p> Research on second-generation Mexican American males who attain a doctoral degree is limited. Often, the data presented clusters Mexican Americans under the Latina/o or Hispanic ethnic group, focuses on factors that hindered educational attainment or details Latino male experiences in context of their Latina female counterparts. Mexican-Americans are the largest subgroup of this ethnic group yet little is known about their post-secondary educational experiences. Rather than focusing on barriers, this study concentrated on the factors that influenced eight Mexican American males from California who attained their doctorates from a doctoral-granting university within California.</p><p> Arguably, the self-efficacious men of this study believed in their academic prowess, but found ability was not enough. Numerous other strategies were needed to help facilitate degree attainment: 1) Being goal-oriented served as the central cause to remain relentless; 2) Interaction with various types of mentorship which came from all aspects of life (academic, home, work); 3) Involvement from a culturally aligned dissertation chair; 4) Surrounding oneself with an inner circle of family and friends and academic peers; and 5) Viewing student loans as an investment that facilitated future aspirations and not as an obstacle. These factors didn&rsquo;t clash against one another; rather, they complemented each other by providing different types of encouragement, support and direction at different times throughout their ascent. However, having a culturally aligned dissertation chair was viewed as the most critical factor toward degree attainment.</p>

<p> Independent schools across the nation recognize the need to create inclusive communities for their students of color. Independent schools must embrace diversity and create communities in which students from all different cultures feel that they belong. The presence of diversity in the independent school environment is critical to the success of students of color. Many non-cognitive obstacles inhibit the success of students of color who attend predominantly white schools including institutional racism, oppositional identity, and internalized oppression (Fordham &amp; Ogbu, 1986; Tatum, 2003). One of the many approaches that independent schools use to address inclusivity is the creation of affinity groups. The purpose of this study is to discover best practices of affinity groups in independent schools and how they are used to create a sense of belonging and inclusion for students of color. This qualitative study employs the Dynamic Narrative Approach to conduct interviews with diversity practitioners at independent schools that are members of the National Association of Independent Schools. Diversity practitioners were asked semi-structured interview questions through a password-protected wiki. A review of the literature and the findings from this study produced a list of best practices of affinity groups in independent schools, including possible downsides and how to overcome them. The findings of this study may be beneficial to independent school leaders and diversity practitioners who have not yet begun affinity group work at their schools. This study adds to the dearth of literature surrounding using affinity groups in independent schools to support students of color.</p>

<p> The current picture of the American Church is considerably less gloriously diverse than the end-times church portrayed in Revelation 7:9. Since the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.&rsquo;s observation in 1956 of Sunday morning as the most segregated time in America, much has been written about the subject of diverse churches, by many different authors and from many different perspectives. By distilling the best practices found in these writings into a model curriculum and teaching it to his congregation, the author answers the question &ldquo;What constitutes an effective training model designed to increase awareness of some of the key aspects of multi-ethnic churches for Harmony Vineyard Church in Ashland, Virginia?&rdquo;</p><p> The project&rsquo;s rationale was straightforward and simple. First, a more unified, diverse church blesses God the Father. Second, for pastors who desire a multi-ethnic congregation, this project will hopefully serve as a single resource addressing the specific issues of teaching and training both pastors and congregations in exactly how to go about creating such a congregation. Third, developing more multi-ethnic congregations is desirable, important, and strategic as the U.S.A.&rsquo;s ethnic population continues to grow.</p><p> The intervention project consisted of seven training segments designed to do the following: 1) to portray God&rsquo;s heart for unity; 2) to introduce multi-ethnic church terms and concepts; 3) to introduce cultural awareness and its importance, and; 4) to conduct a &ldquo;sacred conversation&rdquo; about race and racial issues. The training included both sermons and classroom teaching, and was presented during May, 2015.</p><p> Another aspect of the project was a questionnaire-based study of self-described multi-ethnic Vineyard churches to test if the literature&rsquo;s best practices needed to be contextualized for each denomination, and specifically for Vineyard churches. The good news is that apparently they do not. It was also good news to discover that in many cases, monoethnic churches can become multi-ethnic even if their neighborhoods are not particularly diverse.</p><p> At the project&rsquo;s end it was determined that the curriculum put forth was a successful training model as a significant majority of the participants&rsquo; feedback pointed to an increased awareness of the training&rsquo;s four focus areas mentioned above.</p>

<p> This research explores Chicanx identity and how <i>cultura,</i> specifically <i>son jarocho,</i> can be used to reshape and remake identity. <i>Son jarocho,</i> a musical and cultural tradition from Veracruz, M&eacute;xico, has moved across borders, and is now present in the U.S. (D&iacute;az-S&aacute;nchez and Hern&aacute;ndez, 2013). However, there is little documentation as to how <i>son jarocho</i> is embodied in the communities that are practicing this music. This research documents how an intergenerational collective of Chicanxs in San Antonio, <i>Tejas </i> is using <i>son jarocho</i> and its <i>cultura</i> to decolonize their identities, reclaim indigenous and afro-mestizo roots, and as a vehicle for social justice. Through <i>testimonios</i> from Chicanxs, this thesis documents how <i>son jarocho</i> traditions and culture have formed transnational communities between Chicanxs and communities in Veracruz, <i>M&eacute;xico.</i> Through Chicana feminist epistemologies (Delgado Bernal, 1998) and decolonial research methods (Tuhiwai Smith, 2012), this thesis documents Chicanx stories through Chicanx voices. This research aims to help fill the need for documentation&mdash;through Chicanx voices&mdash;on how Chicanxs today are using the arts to build community. </p><p>

<p>The primary goal of this study is to explore and learn about the life experience of undocumented college students in California. The researcher was interested in learning about identity, stressors, barriers, fears, mental health, strengths, motivation, college life and migrating experience. Furthermore, this study sought to learn about the impact and changes the California Dream Act (CA Dream Act), AB 540 and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) have produced for the current population of undocumented college students in California. The researcher conducted an online questionnaire and had a total of 17 participants. The findings revealed that respondents fear the loss of programs like DACA and continue facing an uncertain future in the United States. In addition, the researcher learned that undocumented children are aware of their undocumented legal status during their primary education years. The study also suggests that participants&rsquo; mental health has been impacted significantly by the barriers and fears associated with their legal status. Future research should focus on the long-term mental health effects that an undocumented legal status can have on an individual, thus examining the effects it places on the mental health and criminal justice system. Additionally, the researcher recommends that future studies examine how programs like DACA are changing undocumented immigrant identity, specifically, addressing how policy can impact an individual&rsquo;s identity. </p>

<p> This research project employs youth development and critical race theory to understand the participation gap in social media. It does this by prioritizing youth voice as the focal point of knowledge creation. It explores why this is such vital topic for academic discussion within education and youth development. It delves into previous work on the topic through a literature review. This qualitative study is based on four focus groups (6 -8 youth each) and three in-depth follow up interviews across four different high schools in the Sacramento area. An inductive grounded theory approach was used to analyze the focus groups and interviews. This paper will explain that process as well as state findings and potential implications for youth, parents, and teachers. This research will provide an examination of the online trends of youth activity and help inform strategies for healthy social media use.</p>

This study examines factors that relate to the role perception and status of African-American administrators working in seven New England State Universities. Most specifically, the study asked: (1) How do African-American Administrators' perception of their responsibility to students, faculty, other administrators, and community impact the delivery of job performance and services? (2) What are some, if any, advantages and disadvantages of being an African-American administrator in a New England State University setting? (3) To what extent does an African-American administrator perceive the quota system and affirmative action as a factor leading to his/her employment? (4) Do African-American administrators perceive their role as mentors for African-American/minority students? (5) To what extent do the African-American administrators perceive their involvement in institutional decision-making? African-American administrators reported their input in institutional decision-making as limited to their particular assignment and not to decisions that influence the mission and goals of the institution. A majority of the respondents believed that they were hired to relate to needs of African-American students and other administrators. Some respondents indicated that they were not sure how the hiring process differed from that of White candidates; and the majority of the respondents think that tokenism was not a contributing factor to their appointment. A number of African-American administrators revealed that their presence on campus heightens the lives of African-American and other minority students. Succeeding on predominantly White campuses is a process which requires a partnership between the top level college officials and the minority administrators. This study supports this notion and encourages institutions of higher education to listen to the comments that African-Americans and other minority administrators are making; comments about real quality of life issues, expanded equal opportunities, and empowerment.

This study was designed to investigate the environment at a predominantly White public university, seeking to identify factors the literature suggest have an impact on Black attrition and retention rates. More specifically, this study focused on examining the perceptions and interactions with the institutional environment that are believed to affect Black students' academic performance and dropout behavior at predominantly White colleges. A student-environment congruence model is used to explain the process of Black student persistence and withdrawal. Data was obtained by the use of two questionnaire instruments. The Environmental Satisfaction Questionnaire and a specially constructed biographical data survey instrument were used to obtain the perceptions of Black undergraduate students of their campus environment. Black male and female undergraduate students at a large public predominantly White university were the respondents in the study. Two hundred questionnaires were distributed; one hundred and thirty-three were returned completed. An ex post facto, survey research design was used. Investigated were: Satisfaction with minority advising, perceived racial climate, feelings of alienation, presence of minority faculty, adequate financial assistance. Five hypotheses were tested; two were supported by the research data. Significant differences were found to exist between the various classes, with juniors being the most dissatisfied with the environment and with their relationships with the faculty on campus than either the freshmen, sophomores, or seniors. The findings of this study also revealed that the majority of the sample of Black undergraduate students: (1) indicated that the financial aid was inadequate in meeting their educational costs, (2) expressed feeling alienated on campus, (3) perceived some degree of racial hostility on campus, and (4) felt that more recruiting of Black students and faculty was needed. This study concluded that increased contact with professors, and administrators on campus can create a more supportive and friendly environment for Black students. Recommendations include faculty and student awareness workshops and suggestions to address these areas.

A social involvement measure using subscales from Pace's (1979) College Student Experience Survey and the social adjustment subscale of the College Student Adaptation Questionnaire (Baker and Siryk, 1989) were used to investigate the nature of the relationship between the degree of Black undergraduate students involvement in nonacademic activities (clubs, organizations, and peer interactions) and their social adjustment and academic achievement (GPA) at a four year predominantly White public institution of higher education in northeastern Massachusetts. The major focus was on the correlation between student involvement and social adjustment as they relate to Black students on a predominantly White campus. A statistical program for the social sciences (SPSS-X) was utilized to analyze eleven research questions which were grouped under the following three broad questions: (1) What is the nature of the relationship between involvement, social adjustment, and academic achievement for Black undergraduates? (2) What are the effects of selective Black student characteristics on the measures of involvement, social adjustment, and academic achievement? (3) What are the effects of the racial composition of clubs and organizations on the measures of involvement, social adjustment, and academic achievement after controlling for socioeconomic status and commitment? The data supported the following assumptions: that there is a positive relationship between student involvement and social adjustment; and that one's commitment to college has a significant effect on one's level of social adjustment and involvement. The data, however, did not support assumptions regarding academic achievement, gender differences, academic college of enrollment, and socioeconomic status. There was no intercorrelation between academic achievement and measures of involvement and social adjustment. The findings suggested that social adjustment may be affected by the racial composition of the clubs and organizations students become involved in. Black students involved in predominantly White and predominantly Black clubs and organizations tend to have higher social adjustment scores than those with no involvement or involvement in either predominantly White or predominantly Black clubs and organizations. Recommendations for enhancing student involvement and further research are included.

This study of a school improvement project in a predominantly African-American junior high school examines the efficacy of a course on social dynamics, "Dynamics of Relationships." The study explores the historical and cultural factors (notably fictive kinship) which structure African-American life in the dominant White society. Given the traumatic physical and emotional changes that occur during adolescence, African-American adolescents are besieged with special challenges and problems identified with ethnic kinship. How these factors affect African-American adolescent school success is investigated. Data were gathered through ethnographic research procedure over a three-year period. Triangulation or multi-methods of participant observations, questionnaires and student interviews were utilized. The data from each method were analyzed and the student interviews afforded the participants opportunities to make recommendations for improvement and modifications needed for the social dynamics course, "Dynamics of Relationships." Immediate results from pre- and post-tests after the course was completed indicated no significant change in behavior or knowledge. The students were promoted to various high schools--African-American neighborhood schools, culturally diverse schools with special programs, and schools in neighboring jurisdictions. However, after a three-year period, the students' reports supported the hypothesis that the course on social dynamics positively influenced their social development and increased their self-esteem and self-concept. The students in the culturally diverse schools reported no greater concerns about their fictive kinship than their peers in African-American neighborhood schools and both groups expressed feelings of high esteem. The students in substantially different high schools (social and academic) provided an understanding that they had not been adversely affected in their self evaluation. The study discusses the implications of the scores which reveal gender variance: the females gained more knowledge during the course than did the male participants. Recommendations for further research are presented in which other researchers can initiate a case study that will address some of the analysis of this study.