Complicating Latiné experiences: Afro-Latiné students’ perceptions of campus climate and sense of belonging

Latiné students represent nearly a quarter of U.S. undergraduates, yet they are largely underrepresented in higher education institutions. Afro-Latiné students make up an even smaller percentage, one that is unknown due to the ways Afro-Latinidad is measured in most large surveys. Existing research examining the experiences of Latiné students reproduces monolithic notions, obscuring the distinct ethnoracial experiences within the Latiné community. Using survey data from the Student Experience in the Research University, this research explores Afro-Latiné students’ perceptions of campus climate and sense of belonging. To strengthen our understanding of Afro-Latiné students’ experiences, we tie together three theories that stem from the same conceptual lineage yet contribute unique tenets applicable for this specific population: Latiné critical studies, Black critical studies, and multiracial critical studies. Utilizing a QuantCrit perspective, we are not asserting that Afro-Latinés should be encapsulated in the multiracial population; rather, we consider how a multiplicative framing, often used in multiracial studies, can be generative in the interpretation of Afro-Latiné students’ experiences. Our findings indicate that Afro-Latiné and non-Hispanic Black students report similar rates of sense of belonging, while non-Black Latiné students have significantly more positive perceptions of campus climate. The findings speak to the need to disentangle the ethnoracial identities of Latiné students to support the multiplicity of Latiné identities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)