Family Lessons and Funds of Knowledge: College-Going Paths in Mexican American Families

The Role of Families in Latinx College Choice

“…Montiel's () study focused on undocumented students attending Ivy League institutions and found that their parental aspirations supported their commitment to attending and staying in college. Kiyama (, , ) found that the households that participated in the parent outreach program already held high aspirations for their children's educational goals and formed educational ideologies that, while positive, were incomplete.…”

Parent and Family Engagement in Higher Education

“…There are multiple ways in which parents and families are and can be engaged in their children's educational journeys. For example, many parents and families incorporate college‐going practices and discussions into everyday household interactions and involve multiple family members in garnering college information and resources (Kiyama, , ). At both PK–12 and higher education levels, families can create a family contract (Hallet & Griffen, ) to help foster conversations during everyday household activities such as dinner (Auerbach, ; Berzin, ; Choi, Tekleselassie, & Mallery, ; Maxwell, ).…”

“…Likewise, sharing of educational resources is not limited to the family unit. Families capitalize on strong social networks to collaborate and share relevant college information within the community (Kiyama, ). Finally, formal policies in place at both the K–12 and postsecondary levels engage families in shared decision making, programming efforts, and community outreach (Sil, ).…”

“…The benefits of community within these contexts include increased action and advocacy among parents (Bolívar & Chrispeels, ), and lower levels of anxiety resulting from parents knowing that other parents are going through similar situations (Carreón et al., ). Community support and social networks can also lead to increased academic success among students (Redding, Murphy, & Sheley, ) and can create a greater knowledge base regarding college, potentially increasing access to college as well (Kiyama, ; Perna, ).…”

“…It is important to consider opportunities to facilitate parent engagement and participation, such as offering incentives or strong rationales for participating. This can take the form of covering information that is urgent or interesting and useful, such as skill development courses (López et al., ) and connecting material to parents and families’ cultural backgrounds (Kiyama, , ). Drawing upon culturally relevant practices represent inclusive and respectful ways in which diverse families can be engaged.…”