(Re)considering the Role Familismo Plays in Latina/o High School Students' College Choices

This qualitative study examines the role familismo (Marin & Marin, 1991) played in 20 Latina/o high school seniors' college choices. Familismo is the tendency to hold the wants and needs of family in higher regard than one's own and has been considered a common trait of Latina/o families. Interviews with students and secondary school counselors revealed this trait may be a common value upheld by Latina/o families but is also a reflection of structural forces outside the family unit. Findings highlight ways students negotiated the options of attending a university close to home to benefit from familial support and/or financially contribute to the family; leaving the region for college in order to ensure a "better life" for themselves and their families; or compromising by beginning at a regional institution and later transferring to another university. High school personnel, and others assisting Latina/os with their college choices should consider such findings. ********** One in four K-12 students enrolled in America's public schools today is Latina/o (1) (Fry & Lopez, 2012). Hispanic enrollment increased from "5.1 to 12.1 million students, and the percentage of public school students who were Hispanic increased from 12 to 23 percent" from 1990 to 2010 alone (Aud et al., 2012, p. 26). With this increasing enrollment, one might expect that greater numbers of Latina/o students would also be continuing their education beyond high school. However, this is not necessarily the case when considering the number of Latina/o students that successfully complete high school and immediately enroll in either a two- or four-year college. From 1975 to 2010, for instance, college enrollment rates for White, Black, and Asian students who completed high school increased respectively from 51% to 70%, 43% to 66%, and 80% to 88% (Aud et al., 2012). Yet the college enrollment rate for Latina/o high school completers remained at approximately 60% (Aud et al., 2012). Enrolling in college, however, does not necessarily equate with college completion. Data from 2004 indicates that among first-time, full-time students seeking a bachelor's degree only 50% of Latina/os graduated within 6 years (Aud et al., 2012). This was a lower rate than Asian/Pacific Islanders (69%) and White students (62%), although higher than the completion rate for Black (39%) and American Indian/Alaska Native students (39%). It is also important to note that individuals of Mexican descent comprise the largest population (2.8 million in 2007) within the Latina/o community, yet they have the second lowest educational attainment rates at 8.5%, with the lowest being Salvadorans at 7.8% (Aud, Fox, & KewalRamani, 2010). This percentage reflects the individuals of Mexican descent (native and foreign-born) between the ages of 25 to 29 that had at least a bachelor's degree in 2007 (Aud et al., 2010. Considering these statistics, there remains a need to further examine issues of college access and choice for Latina/os. Moreover, greater attention to Latina/os of Mexican descent is especially warranted given that they comprise the majority within this community yet have one of the lowest educational attainment rates. When considering the college choice process in particular, researchers (Cabrera & La Nasa, 2000; Hossler & Gallagher, 1987; Perna, 2006) have found that it is complex and multi-dimensional in nature. It consists of students developing college aspirations, considering possible institutions to attend, and then making a decision on where to attend. This is all within the context of students' economic backgrounds, socio-cultural characteristics, and the cultural and social capital (Perna, 2006) available to them. Furthermore, the secondary school, community, and higher education context and social, economic, and policy environment that students inhabit also influence college choice. As Latina/o students begin the college choice process (Hossler & Gallagher, 1987), they often rely on multiple sources for information, guidance, and assistance. …