Reframing Hispanic Serving Institutions

Reframing Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs): A Counterstory of a “Latinized” Institution in the Midwest

by Gina A. Garcia, Jenesis J. Ramirez, Oscar E. Patrón,and Oscar Medina (University of Pittsburgh)

A new research brief has been published is to reframe the research and policy perspective on Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). Specifically, we answer the following question: What does a “Latinized” postsecondary institution look like?  This report is based on qualitative interview data from a multi-site case study of three HSIs in the Midwest. Rather than looking at data that are typically used to determine an institution’s value and prestige (i.e., SAT/ACT scores, selectivity, graduation rates, persistence rates), here we use the participants’ stories in order to make sense of what it means, beyond White normative standards, to effectively serve Latinx students. We use a critical race counter story methodology to tell a story about HSIs from an assets-based perspective.

Read the entire research brief here...