Cultivating Resilience Among Latinx Educational Leaders: Thriving Amidst Challenges

Introduction

This book shares expertise and ideas on how communities of practice can work together across the K-20 pipeline (pK12 - higher education) to prepare and retain Latinx and other marginalized leaders in the field of higher education. Previous chapters have highlighted the need to challenge existing structures and practices that perpetuate the white hegemonic culture that has been pervasive in our educational systems since the beginning of schooling in the United States. This chapter delves into the importance of building resistant capital and resilience for marginalized leaders who live and work in this system of power and privilege at the higher education levels. In this chapter, we provide some background and details on what white hegemony and systemic oppression mean and how Latinx and other marginalized educational leaders might strategize and build techniques to thrive in higher education roles. Amidst the many challenges such as the myth of meritocracy, hidden agendas within systemically oppressive histories that perpetuate and maintain the “status quo”, traditional grammars of schooling that are difficult to change, and overt and hidden micro-aggressive behaviors.

Literature Review

Using Yosso’s work on cultural capital as our theoretical framework, many Latinx individuals have proven to have gained ‘Resistant capital as they navigate the academic pipeline (Yosso, 2005). Individual skills that enable people to be resistant to negative and oppositional encounters from others, including different racial and ethnic groups (primarily the dominant majority group), are a character asset that foster the success of people identifying as Hispanic or Latinx. These behaviors which include microaggressions that have been encountered in various professional and academic situations. Latina/o/s have been affected by microaggressions as they progress through formal schooling. Many individuals have experienced subtle but potent demonstrations of racism throughout their entire formal education. Examples of microaggressions are also prevalent at institutions of higher education. Many of these microaggressions are encountered as female employees try to reach their full academic potential either as faculty or as senior administrative members at universities. Research has countless examples of acts discrimination being manifested by various modes, including difficulties obtaining tenure, being overlooked for promotions or high-ranking senior positions at post-secondary establishments. These actions could be seen as oppressive gestures that have maintained the “status quo” in these institutions.