"I Think There's a Lot of Intersectionality": The College Experiences of Immigrant-Origin Latinx Young Adults With a Foster Care Background

Young adults with a foster care background experience challenges in accessing and succeeding in postsecondary educational settings. Despite some research exploring the experiences of racially and ethnically diverse students with a foster care background in college, little is known about the experiences of immigrant-origin Latinx youth with foster care histories and their pursuit of postsecondary education. Using an intersectional approach, this qualitative study examined the college-going experiences of 11 immigrant-origin Latinx young adults with a foster care background and how their multiple marginalized identities-foster care involved, immigrant-origin, and Latinx-interact to shape their experiences. Four interconnected themes emerged in the findings: (a) family fragility, (b) complicated feelings of success, (c) sense of (not) belonging, and (d) supports. Participants' stories illuminate the need for consistent, comprehensive support, a more nuanced understanding of how students' intersecting marginalized identities can play a role in their experiences on campus and point to ways they can be supported before and during college.