UCLA

This study explored the experiences of Latina immigrant parent students enrolled in a noncredit English as a Second Language (ESL) program at a California community college. It sought to uncover how these students navigate the processes and services of community colleges to support their academic success while also examining how they draw upon their cultural wealth to devise college-going strategies for themselves and their families.Employing a mixed methods approach, I obtained questionnaire responses from 195 ESL students and conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with 12 Latina immigrant parent students. These data reveals that these students enroll at community colleges with deliberate intent, seeking to gain essential language and job skills while also nurturing ambitions for further education through certificate or degree programs. The study also describes how Latina immigrant parent students engage with college personnel and peers, access the services and programs, and share knowledge with their families. In these ways, these students leverage their aspirational, navigational, and familial capital. The findings highlight that Latina immigrant parent students are role models who are navigating their college journey and transforming themselves and their families. Latina immigrant parent students enrolled in noncredit English as a Second Language programs at Eastland Community College represent an underutilized resource and hold the potential to be significant collaborators with community colleges. They navigate college systems skillfully as adult learners, share valuable insights and knowledge with their children, and serve as a familial gateway to educational advancement.