Meeting the Needs of Generation Z Latinx Community College Students

Alison AirhartGeneration Z Latinx community college students represent a large swath of students attending community college across the nation. Research in the Digest of Education Statistics 2018 for post-secondary education indicated the enrollment rate for Hispanic 18- to 24-year-olds rose from 27% in 2007 to 36% in 2017 (Snyder et al., 2019). Most of these students, born between 1995 and 2010, choose community college as their first choice for postsecondary education but struggle to meet their educational goals.

According to the State Of Higher Education For Latinx In California, Latinx students represented the lowest rate of transfer from community college to 4-year universities compared to all other ethnicity groups (The Campaign for College Opportunity, 2018). To better understand this population of students who fill community colleges nationwide, Alison Airhart conducted a study to discover who these students are, what barriers they experience, and what support services these students need.

Who are Generation Z Latinx Students?

Generation Z Latinx college students share many of the same characteristics as the Generation Z student population as a whole; they are more connected to technology, process information differently, and struggle with mental illness more than other generations. However, Airhart (2022) found in her study that Generation Z Latinx community college students have unique needs related to their culture, socio-economic status, and being the first in their families to attend college in the United States.

Challenges

Generation Z Latinx students reported that their parental immigration status or socioeconomic status sometimes was an issue. They shared that their family culture presented a challenge as well. Students in this study said their self-identity sometimes collided with their cultural identity, and often differed from the cultural identity of their parents. Students also articulated a more competitive than cooperative attitude to the family cultural norms. Generation Z Latinx students indicated that they were forming identities that were independent of family, breaking away from the traditional gender roles. They are more apt to decide their educational path based on what they desire for their future over what their family members want them to do. These students expressed a high need to stay close to family and siblings to offer their family help, but communicated their frustration that parents and relatives from their home countries often do not understand the academic demands and time requirements to be successful college students.

Supports needed