Date of Award
4-17-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
First Advisor
Chris Jenkins
Committee Members
Bronwyn MacFarlane; Karen Cox
Abstract
This dissertation is a qualitative exploration of the experiences of Latina daughters of immigrant parents during the critical transition from high school to community college. Focusing on the role that Latino parents have in affecting their daughters' educational motivation and persistence, the research employed semi-structured, in-depth interviews with Generation 1.5 (immigrated to the U.S. as children or youth) or second-generation (born in the U.S. to immigrant parents) Latina daughters. The interviews allowed for a comprehensive examination of the complex factors affecting these young women's educational journeys. These experiences did not occur in isolation. In addition to struggling with emergent ethnic, gender, and academic identity formation, they had to navigate complex, and often distressing, parental relationships, resulting in an accumulation of challenges. The research uncovered several key themes: In high school, daughters often assumed parent-like roles and responsibilities, experienced frequent conflicts with parents (especially mothers), and endured the emotional toll of parental academic pressure. In college, however, they have fought for agency and worked to establish relationship boundaries with their parents. Throughout this process, they also relied heavily on support resources, including mental health therapy, to manage the ongoing challenges in their lives, including complex parental relationships. The impact of not finishing college is evident in the earnings gap between Latinas with a bachelor’s degree and those with some college, a disparity that is further exacerbated by higher employment instability and risk of poverty. However, the benefits of earning a college degree extend far beyond financial gains; Latinas with a college degree tend to lead healthier lifestyles, cultivate stronger social connections, engage more in civic activities, and promote higher educational attainment for their children and future generations. Therefore, it is a moral imperative to support Latinas in their pursuit of a college degree.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Vasquez, Marlen, "Latino Parent-Daughter Relationships: Educational Motivation and Persistence in High School to Community College Transition" (2025). Student Theses and Dissertations. 674.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/674
