<p> The purpose of my study was to explore the role of cultural values in the lived experiences of Latino college and university presidents at four-year higher education institutions and to determine how cultural values contributed to and reflected their professional strengths. Using the Community Cultural Wealth framework developed by Tara Yosso (2005) to capture the assets or forms of capital that people of color bring with them to all settings, this study utilized a strengths-based approach to examine the ways in which Latino higher education executives translated their cultural upbringing and values into skills and approaches that facilitated their ascension in the field of higher education. In semi-structured conversational interviews with 14 of the 21 identified four-year Latino college presidents, I explored a). the factors that facilitated Latino college presidents' success, b). the ways in which presidents used their cultural background and cultural values to ascend to leadership roles, and c). how their cultural backgrounds guided their approaches to and view of their role in higher education. </p><p> I conducted a qualitative study using testimonio, a form of narrative inquiry that began in Latin American studies as a way to expose the experiences and injustices endured by oppressed groups. Through testimonios marginalized individuals tell of their lived experiences to raise awareness of racism, classism or other forms of oppression and to also effect change. Testimonio and critical race theory are also based on individual narratives representing the collective experience of communities. Since this study looked at how Latino college presidents viewed the role of their cultural backgrounds in their careers, testimonios allowed me to capture the commonalities of those experiences. </p><p> This study adds to the literature by using the Community Cultural Wealth model and an assets-based approach to examine different cultural aspects or forms of capital of Latino college presidents and the role of these cultural elements in their ascent to a presidency. This study uncovered the extent to which culture has been a positive force and inspiration in the professional careers of Latino college presidents.</p>

<p>The purpose of this study was to explore the health affects caregiver stress has on caregivers in the Latino community of patients with Alzheimer&rsquo;s and dementia. The purpose of this project was to identify a potential funding source and write a grant to fund a Latino caregiver psycho-educational support group in the city of Maywood, California. </p><p> Researchers and clinical practitioners have grown concerned with the underutilization of support programs in the Latino community. The Latino community has unique needs and responds to culturally sensitive support groups. The Alzheimer&rsquo;s Association identified caregiver intervention programs as an important area of study. Funded by the Archstone Foundation, this project examines research of the unique needs this large aging community has. VISTA Adult Day Health Care Center serves a large Latino community. This program is presented as a structured psycho-educational support group. The actual submission and/or funding of this grant was not a requirement for the successful completion of this project. </p>

<p> The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the transition to higher education for undocumented immigrant students as part of the social investment in human capital. Each year, approximately 65,000 undocumented students in the United States graduate from public schools and only a low percentage pursue higher education. The study conducted in Massachusetts presents evidence of social transformation as participants were also affiliated with SIM (Student Immigrant Movement), to advocate for higher education opportunities for undocumented students, and change social perceptions of undocumented population. The participants&rsquo; experiences are analyzed using social theories of transmission and transformation along with human capital theory. Data were analyzed using NVivo9 software and multiple readings of the interview transcripts, with guiding research question, how did the immigration status play a role in the pursuit of access to higher education? The analysis in this study is focused on the investment in human capital through education, considering that the individual and social return ought to be greater. The data gathered from the experiences of 20 formerly undocumented students of Latin American descent in this qualitative case study showed that possibilities of changing immigrant status, like the proposed DREAM Act, influenced the motivation to continue education beyond high school. The major themes among the participants&rsquo; descriptions of their educational experiences as students were related to (a) immigrant status, (b) motivation to continue their postsecondary education, (c) support they received to continue with their education, (d) social return on their educational investment, and (e) their plans for the future. Recommendations for leaders and policy makers are presented, and suggestions for further research are indicated.</p>

<p> This historical analysis focuses on the Lower Rio Grande Valley, particularly Starr County. It reviewed thousands of pages of archival records, historical news reports, feature profiles, city, state, and federal government documents, interviews, videos, and academic examinations. </p><p> This thesis borrows biographical, narrative, and borderlands history approaches to portray Dr. Mario E. Ramirez as a man who believed that he could make a difference in many Valley lives. It argues and demonstrates that he successfully and repeatedly realized that belief throughout the fields of medicine, politics, and education. </p><p> The thesis examines 1967's Hurricane Beulah as a dramatic example of how Ramirez --who assumed a leadership role in the medical relief efforts on both sides of the Rio Grande -- utilized his community standing, his professional standing as a South Texas doctor, and his familiarity with a predominantly Mexican-American population to improve his Starr County community. The Beulah relief efforts enhanced his image as a role model, as a legitimate community voice, and as a state and national representative of Valley needs. </p><p> Ramirez's political and professional achievements enabled him to guide thousands of Valley residents into medical careers. Many of them returned to the Valley, as he did, to care for their communities. His ambitions also made him a cornerstone of efforts to build and strengthen medical education and health care throughout South Texas.</p>

This qualitative study examined three areas of social service provision through the experiences of non-English speaking older Hispanic immigrants. These three areas included availability and accessibility of services and culturally competent practices of service providers. The qualitative approach of phenomenology was used to interview ten participants in order to explore their experiences with service provision. An analysis of the interviews pointed to the following themes: (a) experiences with services were deeply connected to issues of immigration and adaptation; (b) language barriers were especially difficult to overcome in services; (c) the role of families as primary supports needed to be reconsidered in order to offer better quality of services; and (d) culturally competent practices needed to be reinforced at the organizational level of workers, agencies and government in order to become more effective. From these themes, recommendations and implications for social work and services for non-English speaking elderly Hispanics are detailed.

This qualitative study examined three areas of social service provision through the experiences of non-English speaking older Hispanic immigrants. These three areas included availability and accessibility of services and culturally competent practices of service providers. The qualitative approach of phenomenology was used to interview ten participants in order to explore their experiences with service provision. An analysis of the interviews pointed to the following themes: (a) experiences with services were deeply connected to issues of immigration and adaptation; (b) language barriers were especially difficult to overcome in services; (c) the role of families as primary supports needed to be reconsidered in order to offer better quality of services; and (d) culturally competent practices needed to be reinforced at the organizational level of workers, agencies and government in order to become more effective. From these themes, recommendations and implications for social work and services for non-English speaking elderly Hispanics are detailed.

This dissertation examined the perceptions of high-achieving undergraduate Hispanic students majoring in engineering with regard to their academic success. As the largest and fastest growing minority group in the US, Hispanics are underrepresented among the racial and ethnic compositions of students enrolled in undergraduate engineering programs. Factoring in the overall decline in the number of graduates in engineering, as well, enhances the challenges this will bring to need for a racially and ethnically representative US workforce. While engineering is an academically demanding discipline, some students not only succeed, but excel. To understand the factors that contributed to their academic success, seven high-achieving undergraduate engineering students were interviewed to examine their undergraduate experiences at Texas A&M University. This qualitative study utilized semi-structured participant interviews as the means of data collection to gather information. Through the process of content analysis, four key themes emerged: (1) Versatility: That's a different way of seeing things that I never thought of before, (2) Individuality: I've gotten more a sense of who I am, (3) Essence: That's just how we are, and (4) Successful Study Strategies: I realized if I wanted to continue not having to relearn and relearn, I should just learn. Findings from this study suggest that Texas A&M should emphasize engagement opportunities through the use of freshman Learning and/or Living-Learning Communities to improve the acclimation of new students into the University as well as assist them in forming the type of peer relationships that can increase the likelihood of academic success. In addition, the University should make a variety of academic assistance measures available to these students early in their academic careers to activate successful study strategies and accomplishments.

The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experiences of first-generation Hispanic students who have obtained a doctorate degree (EdD or PhD). The Hispanic population continues to increase in the United States, particularly in the state of Texas. However, the level of Hispanics' educational attainment lags behind that of the U.S. and Texas populations in general. The overall economic impact of low Hispanic educational attainment, coupled with continuing growth of this group, presents a pressing issue for future workforce educators and human resource development professionals. It is critical to understand educational experiences of first-generation Hispanic students to address the lack of educational achievement among this group of people. Within the naturalistic inquiry research paradigm, I adopted a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to collect rich and thick data that could shed light on the "lived experiences" of six doctoral recipients who are first-generation Hispanic students. Through multiple rounds of in-depth interviews, supplemented by personal observations and multiple email exchanges with participants, I generated extensive personal stories, developed a meaningful relationship with the participants, and discovered the essence of the participants' experiences. Four themes emerged from an in-depth analysis of interview, pictorial, and observational data: (a) support systems, (b) personal attributes, (c) identity struggles, and (d) socialization struggles. These themes led to discovery of three components that shaped participants' experiences: a journey of support, a journey of self-discovery and self-development, and a journey of identity development. The findings not only have implications for Hispanic students who aspire to higher educational goals; they point to areas for improvement for educators, human resource development practitioners, and policy makers. Directions for future research were proposed to encourage further research on the topic and issues related to first-generation Hispanic students.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-02, Section: A, page: 0571. Advisers: Debra Castillo; Ronald Sousa. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 163-171) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Georgia Southern University, 2007. / "A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Georgia Southern University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Education." Under the direction of William M. Reynolds. ETD. Electronic version approved: May 2007. Includes bibliographical references (p. 197-201)