From Spectators to Partners: The Role of Self-Efficacy in Latina/o Immigrant Parents’ Engagement in Students’ Post-Secondary Planning

Cultural meaning of education and parents' involvement in education: Perspectives of immigrant Latinos

“…This study primarily aimed to document how immigrant Latino parents understand and engage in their children's education in the United States. The results revealed, as have previous studies (Arellanes et al, 2019; Cuevas, 2023), that Latino parents hold a bidimensional view in which children's moral development and acquisition of academic content are equally emphasized in “education.” Newer to the literature are rich descriptions of the role education plays in parents' quest to ensure children have a better life, as well as the responsibilities attributed to parents for their children's education and how those responsibilities are behaviorally expressed. Finally, the data clearly indicated how parents' personal lack of experience with formal education and schooling shaped their views on the value of education and efforts to ensure children's acquisition of education.…”

“…Our results clearly evidence that Latino parents view themselves as thoroughly involved in their children's educational success. These parents' adopted engagement forms and parenting practices align with their cultural understanding of education and perceived educational priorities (Cuevas, 2023; Landa et al, 2023). Consistent with CCW (Yosso, 2005), immigrant Latino parents were seen to invest a diverse set of cultural capital ranging from aspirational (e.g., encouraging children to have a better, or best, life with education) to familial capital (e.g., passing on community or cultural values through moral education) in their children's success.…”

“…Walker et al (2005) then advanced Hoover‐Dempsey and Sandler's model by looking beyond “parents who are involved in children's schooling” (p. 86) and considering parents' life context as a critical deciding factor for the level and type of parental involvement (or lack thereof). Although this model was not designed for the Latino population, it was widely adopted (Cuevas, 2023; Walker et al, 2011). The CCW model and the model of parental involvement provide a conceptual foundation for describing forms of parental involvement, but they offer little guidance for understanding why or how Latino parents become involved in the way(s) they do (or not).…”

“I Knew It Was Gonna Be Hard, but I Always Knew I Had Support From My Parents”: The Role of Family on Undocumented Students’ College Aspirations and Persistence

“…Even though some immigrant families may not get involved in school in traditionally valued forms, such as attending school meetings or facilitating college tours, it does not mean that they do not support the educational pursuits of their children. Often, undocumented students receive emotional support from their parents, contributing to their transition to postsecondary education (Cuevas, 2020b;Diaz-Strong et al, 2011). Even when parents are physically separated from their children due to deportation or other circumstances, such as temporary work assignments, they still find modes to encourage and support their children's education (P. A.…”

“…In this study, I seek to answer these three research questions and illuminate the role that family plays on undocumented students' college aspirations and persistence to inform higher education research and practice. I also aim to contribute to the limited body of scholarship that centers families as critical microsystems influencing the success of minoritized students in postsecondary settings (e.g., Cuevas, 2020aCuevas, , 2020b. Understanding more about the role of family and its influence on college aspirations and persistence can result in innovative higher education practices that promote the postsecondary success of undocumented students.…”