Despite the wide-ranging scholarship on the educational attitudes held by native-born members of the middle and working class, few researchers have examined the impact of class on the attitudes of new arrivals. This article addresses this gap using data gathered through an ethnographic study conducted among 30 newly arrived refugee and immigrant youth from varying class backgrounds. Although all the students expressed high aspirations, those from a middle-class background were more likely to view academic performance in individualistic terms than their working- and lower-class peers, who were more critical of meritocracy. Optimistic views of opportunity may motivate students to overcome barriers, yet they may also obscure the significance of class disparities in education and foster a sense of self-blame among failing students.

Objective: This article explores the experiences of 32 first-generation immigrant and refugee students as they transition into and out of community college. The challenges students face and the resources on which they draw in their educational pursuits are viewed through Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital. Method: This project utilizes an applied ethnographic approach that primarily elicited participant-observation and interview data. Results: Findings demonstrate that prospective community college students articulated uncertainty about the college process and concern over the quality of community colleges. Current and former community college students validated these concerns as they described their struggles to overcome both in- and out-of-school challenges. In many cases, such obstacles resulted in the leveling of previously high aspirations. Contribution: Although the growing number of immigrant and refugee students in the United States are disproportionately represented at community colleges, little is known about their experiences in these institutions. This article adds to our understanding of immigrant and refugee students’ experiences in community colleges through their own words.

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