Graduation Semester and Year
2022
Language
English
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Sociology
Department
Sociology and Anthropology
First Advisor
Beth Anne Shelton
Abstract
This study addresses the identity reconstruction process and ethnic marker development of 2nd generation Latina undergraduates attending a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). A qualitative study consisting of 12 individual interviews and a focus group consisting of two new respondents and two old ones (N=14) were conducted virtually to understand how identity was reconstructed, and which ethnic markers this new generation uses to identify other Latinx. To understand the identity reconstruction process and ethnic marker identification, borderlands theory with a focus on the mestiza consciousness was employed. Results show that not all Latinas reconstruct their identity once they start attending an HSI. On the contrary, while some reconstructed their identity because they experienced a predominantly white k-12 education and did not have a strong connection to their culture before attending the university, others enhanced their identity. Identity enhancement occurred for those Latinas who had a strong sense of Latinx identity before attending the university. Their experiences at the university confirmed what they already believed of themselves and exposed them to a new social environment where they became even more secure in their identities. As for the ethnic markers, results suggest that this new generation of Latinas is redefining ethnic boundaries and markers. They confirmed past research by using language as a prominent ethnic marker but added kinship ties and skin tone. Kinship ties appeared in the way they talked about their families and how their Latinidad stemmed from family connections. Skin tone, on the other hand, was discussed about in terms of white-passing and white-washing Latinx. Their thought process revealed that it was not so much about skin tone (though it still was), but it was more about behavior and how one viewed their own culture.
Keywords
Mestiza, Latina, HSI
Disciplines
Social and Behavioral Sciences | Sociology
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Rivera, Tatiana Marie, "The Latina Experience: Ethnic Markers & identity Building at an Hispanic Serving Institution" (2022). Sociology & Anthropology Theses. 80.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/sociologyanthropology_theses/80
Comments
Degree granted by The University of Texas at Arlington