Invisible no more : AfroLatina/o undergraduate student's sense of belonging and persistence at a small urban Northeastern college

Latina/os are the fastest growing demographic group in the United States but deterministic views of race and ethnicity have created a habitual way of assessing Latina/os in social science research – including higher education. This homogenous approach overlooks the racial and ethnic diversity of Latina/os who yield from 21 different countries from around the world. Thus, AfroLatina/o students have been overlooked in higher education research. This study utilized qualitative research methods and a phenomenological approach in order to gain an in-depth understanding of how AfroLatina/o college students at a small, commuter, urban, public institution in the Northeastern United States mold their racial and ethnic identities, how they negotiate in-group acceptance, and how the prior two impact their academic persistence. Three key findings emerged from this study: (1) AfroLatina/o student mold their own identities by reflecting on their experiences of pain and rejection, (2) their group membership is contingent on many factors not just phenotype or language, and (3) their academic persistence is impacted by their urban environment more than other factors.