What is Cultural Familiarity

Latinx communities in the United States now represent the country's largest racial or ethnic minority group at 17% or 53 million people. However, Latinx students continue to face racial inequities in educational institutions. Research shows the achievement gap between Latinx students and their peers remains disproportionately low in measures such as grades, test scores, high school completion rates, and college attainment. Thus, it is essential to understand the institutional factors that contribute to the experiences of Latinx students and identify ways school counselors can work to mitigate the cultural and racial barriers. This chapter highlights factors that hinder the academic success, career readiness, and social-emotional skill development of Latinx students and discusses how school counselors can transform school environments to maximize success among these students.