Latinx Students' Experiences of Discrimination in the Age of Trump

Background and Purpose:

People of Latin American descent comprise 15% of the total U.S. population, yet remain underrepresented in higher education.  As of 2015, approximately 36.2% of non-Hispanic whites (ages 25 and over) have a Bachelor’s degree or higher in contrast to only 15.5% of Hispanics. The academic achievement of Latinx people has significant impact on their socioeconomic and health potential over their lifetimes.

Latinx students are most likely to attend Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) or institutions in regions with larger Latinx populations (Texas, New York, California, etc.). Latinx students attending Predominantly White Institutions (PWI) are at greater risk of experiencing hostile campus climate, which can contribute to less successful academic experiences.

Social and political contexts have the potential to prevent Latinx students from succeeding in their educational pursuits. The election of President Donald Trump in 2016 was significant for Latinx populations in the U.S. His administration has carried out policies targeting “Mexicans” and other Latinx groups, such as suspension of the DACA program, increased immigration raids, and plans for a wall across the US-Mexican border. These events could contribute to a more hostile environment for Latinx students seeking higher education. This exploratory study was designed to learn if and how the current national context may have impacted the educational progress and well-being of Latinx university students.  

Methods:

This mixed methods web survey was designed to identify the experiences and needs of Latinx students at a public PWI. Quantitative measures included demographics, finances, experiences of discrimination, and utilization of campus resources. Open-ended items allowed respondents to describe their experiences. The survey was administered twice: in 2014 and 2018. The second survey was intended to identify any possible impact of socio-political climate.

The university registrar’s office compiled our sample group.  In 2014, the registrar sent the survey to all 1933 self-identified “Hispanic” students. As per new policy, the 2018 survey was sent to a randomly generated sample of 2000 (of 2,597 total) self-identified “Hispanic” students.

Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data. Qualitative data were thematically open-coded.

Results:

263 surveys submitted in 2014 and 256 surveys submitted in 2018 were used in our analyses. From these two samples, 164 surveys had sufficient data to run comparisons. Stark differences were revealed between the rates of negative campus climate experiences in 2014 and 2018. Most notably, self-reported rates of microaggressions increased by 25.9%, while the rate of students who reported no negative experiences decreased by 23.19%. Further, respondents in 2018 were more likely to identify socio-historical-political events, such as changes in DACA and the 2016 election, as having a negative impact on their university experiences.

Conclusions and Implications:

Since 2014, many significant socio-historical-political events have impacted Latinx groups. Our results suggest a link between these events and the self-reported negative experiences of Latinx students. Colleges and universities should consider the dynamic relationships between national and campus climate when developing and implementing policies attempting to achieve diversity, equity, and inclusion.