UC San Diego

Through the application of Chicana Feminist Epistemologies, this dissertation project employs Bourdieu’s Theory of Capital, Rendon’s Adapted Community Cultural Wealth Model and LatCrit theory. This qualitative project highlights the experiences and gains obtained by Chicana/x | Latina/x doctoral students through their prior navigation of undergraduate research programs. Using plática methodology, I explore the backgrounds, experiences, gains, and goals of Chicana/x | Latina/x doctoral students in terminal degree institutions and how undergraduate research programs played a role in their journey to accessing graduate school, as well as the advantages these students brought with themselves to best benefit from these programs. Given that specific analysis of underrepresented student groups’ research experiences has been understudied, the intention of this dissertation threefold: 1) to examine how low-income first-generation Chicana/x | Latina/x students’ different forms of community cultural wealth and capitals enable them to pursue the opportunities from undergraduate research; 2) to shed light on how undergraduate research programs offer support to low-income first-generation Chicana/x | Latina/x undergraduate students and how these programs prepare them to successfully pursue graduate degrees in terminal degree institutions; and 3) how do systems of oppression impact Chicana/x | Latina/x students in their pursuit of higher education? More specifically, how does this manifests in the form of sexism, racism, colorism while navigating their educational journeys? The data analysis revealed five key findings: 1) the existence of dominant forms of capital in the form of pre-college educational enrichment opportunities were present in the journeys of low-income first-generation Chicana/x | Latina/x McNair alumni pursuing doctoral degrees; 2) the presence of non-dominant forms of capital as community cultural wealth advantages were present in the journeys of low-income first-generation Chicana/x | Latina/x McNair alumni pursuing doctoral degrees; 3) dominant forms of capital as gains from low-income first-generation Chicana/x | Latina/x participation in the McNair undergraduate research program; 4) the existence of intersectional prejudice and discrimination experienced by low-income first-generation Chicana/x | Latina/x as they navigated their educational journey; and 5) differential treatment in the home deriving from aspects of low-income first-generation Chicana/x | Latina/x identities. It also found underrepresented faculty and staff as critical points of support through these students’ educational paths. This analysis recommends faculty and staff to embrace anti-racist pedagogies and lenses to support underrepresented students and their great potential, to raise awareness of the long-term benefits of programs aimed at supporting underserved families and their children. As for programmatic recommendation, it is advised that McNair develops an easier path for transfer students to join their program, to diversify the faculty and staff involved, to embrace alternative career routes or educational paths for program recipients as a measure of program success as well as to incorporate greater elements of community to better support its underrepresented students instead of hegemonic reproduction that leads to harm. Recommendations for programs with similar missions and visions include opening these opportunities for a broader selection pool to include students with less educationally advantageous experiences; diversify staff and faculty to match the needs of the students served; effectively employ critical theoretical frameworks when addressing educational access of underrepresented groups, and employing anti-racist pedagogies and anti-bias trainings for faculty and staff.