Space and place at Asian American and Pacific Islander–serving community colleges: The geography of campus student support for Asian American and Pacific Islander students.

Abstract

This study examines the perceived changes in the geography of student support for racial/ethnic minoritized students after pursuing federal Minority-Serving Institution (MSI) designation and grants. Specifically, this qualitative multiple-case study examines the decision-making related to, and perceived changes in, space and place aimed at supporting Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students at three AAPI-serving community colleges. The three themes related to changes in the geography of student support for AAPI students as a result of the MSI grant that emerged from the study were: (a) from symbolic to physical space; (b) supporting AAPIs helped support other minoritized student populations; (c) the last theme demonstrates that, as a result of creating these spaces, students were more integrated into the campus community. A common thread across each of these themes is the saliency of race in the design, creation, and resulting impact of creating space in the geography of student support for AAPI students at each of the campuses. The study concludes with implications regarding the role of postsecondary institutions in (re)creating physical and symbolic spaces. Institutional agents must be mindful of the targeted groups that exist within their campus when considering these implications to create a welcoming campus environment.

In a State of Becoming: How Institutions Communicate Asian American and Pacific Islander- and Latinx-Servingness Through Campus Artifacts

“…The authors highlight that these campus artifacts are "a daily reminder of historical trauma and erasure" (p. 285) that contribute to Native students' marginalization. Another study highlighted institutional agents' critical role in developing campus artifacts for AAPIs at AANAPISIs (Alcantar et al, 2020). Our study extends this literature by locating this phenomenon within dually designated AANAPISI-HSIs.…”

“…Campus artifacts include artwork (e.g., murals, statuary), signage (i.e., building names), graffiti, and architecture (e.g., buildings;Banning et al, 2008). The authors expand the conception of campus artifacts by including digital platforms (Torres & Zerquera, 2012) and a campus' geography (Alcantar et al, 2020).…”

Institutional pathfinders: Key lessons from program directors of AANAPISI grant-funded projects.

“…Although this is a practice often promoted in student affairs generally, finding and working with allies were critically important for AANAPISI PDs, specifically, because the purpose of the program is student success, an outcome shaped by a variety of touch points across the institution that can be undergirded by collaboration (Kezar, 2001a). And finally, embedding the program within existing institutional structures, such as longstanding events or organizations, offered strategic opportunities and possibilities for the PDs to sustain their programs (Alcantar et al, 2020). By integrating the AANAPISI into more well-established initiatives, it gave the AANAPISI program gravitas among faculty and institutional leaders, allowing the PDs to use this platform to promote buy-in, secure partnerships, and resources.…”

“Whenever I see those little rainbow stickers, I know that there is a place you can go”: Visibility and sense of belonging for queer and/or trans community college students.

“…While not within the community college context, there are several studies that revealed how imagery, visual representation, and physical artifacts impact students' belonging (Alcantar et al, 2022(Alcantar et al, , 2020 This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.…”