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The Intersectionality of Being a First-Generation and Latinx College Student: A

Programmatic Intervention for Students Experiencing Stress

Daisy Lozano, Cristina Chávez, and Dulce I Hernandez

HESA 522: College Student Development Theory

Dr. Quortne Hutchings

November 20, 2021

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Introduction

First-generation Latinx college students face various obstacles based on these two

separate identities. Being a college student, while belonging to an underrepresented population,

and being placed in a new environment can come with significant stress. In the 2015-16 school

year, almost half of Latinos (44%) were also first-generation. Latinos are also more likely to be

first-generation than other racial/ethnic groups (Postsecondary National Policy Institute, 2020;

Santiago et al., 2019). Considering these factors and the challenges they individually face, a

student falling into both can make their transition into college a more stressful one. The possible

lack of preparation for college as well as the social and cultural factors that may affect the

students’ experience. Interventions implemented to support students should be a safe space for

these students to destress. We introduce “First-Gen Latinx in College”, a one-hour workshop

taking place three times a semester, which will provide a space of encouragement for students

through various discussions, guest speakers, activities, and networking opportunities. Through

this opportunity, we hope for students to find it to be a place to cope with the challenges they

face in college as a first-generation Latinx student.

Literature Review

Looking at the Latinx student population, Postsecondary National Policy Institute (2021)

found that in 2019 the Latinx population was the second largest ethnic group enrolled as

undergraduates (p.1). Both Postsecondary National Policy Institute (2021) and Santiago et al.

(2019), found that Latinx students are more likely than other racial/ethnic groups to be first-

generation. Considering that this large population of students has a significant presence in higher

education, it is important to acknowledge their challenges.

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Wilbur (2021) discussed stress and depressive symptoms among first-generation college

students and the comparison to continuing-generation students. Although there was no difference

in depressive symptoms, first-generation college students were found to face more stressors

(Wilbur, 2021, p. 69). Gist-Mackey et al. (2018) also discussed the challenges first-generation

college students face in their transition to college. Based on those challenges, Gist-Mackey et al.

(2018) emphasized the importance of social support students need to have for a smoother

socialization into college. Focusing on the Latinx identity, Arbona & Jimenez (2014) examined

minority stress: stress caused or related to the student’s minority identity and negative

interactions regarding it. Falling into this ethnic identity, Latinx students are more likely to

encounter negative interaction, and having awareness of this, can produce more stress (Arbona &

Jimenez, 2014). Corona et al. (2017) also looks at the Latinx identity and focuses on cultural

factors that may impact students’ stress. It was found that specifically the closedness with the

student’s family was important to lower stress and mental health issues.

To understand the challenges first-generation Latinx students might be face,

developmental theories need to be considered. Kortegast & Yount (2016) uses transition theory

to understand how students transition means adjusting one’s identity to adapt to new social and

academic cultures. Magolda (2009) and Abes & Hernandez (2016) go over the use of Self-

Authorship model, which focuses on creating one’s own beliefs and sense of self. As first-

generation Latinx college students transition into college, using developmental theories as an

approach to implement interventions, is crucial to understand and support these students.

Context

First-generation students are defined as those whose parents did not attend college.

Having this background, it can be more difficult for students to transition into their new student
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roles and environments (Gist-Mackey et al., 2018, p. 52). Being new to the college culture can

come with unexpected challenges that may require unknown skills needed to cope with this

change. First-generation college students face more academic stress than their counterparts due

to this lack of preparation (Gist-Mackey et al., 2018, p. 53; Wilbur, 2021, p. 60). Students do not

get the opportunity to rely on their parents for advice or support during this adjustment. Along

with academics, first-generation college students may also face financial hardships requiring

them to seek employment. Having other responsibilities such as a job, makes it difficult to

integrate into the college culture, making it harder to build relationships and create a support

system (Gist-Mackey et al., 2018, p. 53; Wilbur, 2021, p. 60). Under these circumstances, it can

be difficult for first-generation college students to feel like they belong, leading to feelings of

stress. “Because universities are geared toward the success of middle to upper class students,

cultural integration is difficult for first-generation students as well. Universities—especially 4-

year and elite universities—tend to perpetuate dominant middle-class cultural norms of

independence which conflict with the more interdependent cultural norms of first-generation

students (Stephens et al. 2012 as cited in Wilbur, 2021, p. 60). Obstacles for first-generation

college students go beyond the students themselves, but with who the universities were intended

to serve.

Along with being first-generation, Latinx students come across separate difficulties

during their transition to college mainly due to cultural factors. Corona et al. (2017) discusses

cultural values such as familismo and respeto, and their role as Latinx students’ cultural stressors.

Familismo is defined as the connectedness with the students’ family, respeto is related to

familismo and translates to respect, specifically the respect given to familial values (Corona et

al., 2017). “The study’s findings demonstrate that familism support was the cultural value most
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strongly related to students’ anxiety, depressive, and psychological stress symptoms in our

sample” (Corona et al., 2017, p. 74). Coming from a Latinx culture, most students were raised in

a family-orientation environment in which they continue to value throughout college. As

students move to college and away from their family, being in this environment without their

support system can be stressful. Aside from cultural factors, being Latinx means belonging to a

minoritized group which impacts the experience and perspective the student may have. Arbona

& Jimenez (2014) discuss the experience of minority stress being defined as “stress in negative

or undesirable situations in which the individual’s membership in a stigmatized social group, that

is, a group that is the target of discrimination and prejudice, is a salient aspect of the person–

situation interaction” (p. 162). Latinx students are placed in a space where historically it was not

made for them, giving this sense of not belonging or having to make more of an effort to belong.

After looking at how these different categories of students and their hardships, one can

understand how the college experience can be a more stressful one when being both first-

generation and a Latinx student. Being a first-generation Latinx college student can mean there is

a different level of readiness for college than other students and a different support needed. For

this reason, creating a programmatic intervention to help these students would have to focus on

the transition itself to a 4-year university, and being able to grow once at the university.

Schlossberg’s Transition Theory and Baxter Magolda’s Self-Authorship Model are the

appropriate theoretical perspectives to use to develop a program for first-generation Latinx

students.

Theoretical Framework

The programmatic intervention created below follows transition theory and self-

authorship theory from a critical and post-structural perspective. Both perspectives are necessary
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in understanding the needs of first-generation, Latinx college students’ experiencing stress. They

are both also necessary in creating programming to support them.

Transition theory in this essay is used because of its focus on what students experience

when they transition into college. Kortegast and Yount (2016, p. 232) describe a transition as “an

event, or non-event, that results in changed relationships, routines, assumptions, and roles.”

These events usually cause some sort of change in an adult’s life. Adults who are in a process of

transition go through three phases, moving in, moving though, and moving out (Kortegast and

Yount, 2016). During these phases, according to Kortegast and Yount (2016), there are four

factors that can impact a person’s ability to cope with transition. These include situation, self,

support, and strategies.

Situation refers to what is happening around the student. This includes triggering events,

timing, control of the situation, changing roles, how long the event takes, previous experiences,

current stressors, and assessment. All these affect a student’s transition to college. The second

factor is the self. This refers to how a student’s identity impacts their transition to college. This

can include race, ethnicity, gender, and ability. The third factor that impacts a student’s transition

is support. This includes support from family members, friends, colleagues, institutions, and

communities. The last factor is strategies, these are strategies that students use to cope with their

transitions.

The study by Kortegast and Yount (2016) found that students during the “moving in”

phase of their transition learned the ropes of college and adjusted to their new roles as students

and their environments. They also found that students experienced a sense of loss of their

identity and culture during their first year of college (Kortegast & Yount, 2016). During this

stage, it was also found that students found that the biggest struggle to adjust to college was
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academic (Kortegast & Yount, 2016). They had to learn how to take notes when listening to a

lecture and how to communicate with professors. This sense of loss also tied into the moving-out

phase of their transition because they were moving-out of their cultures. Understanding the

phases that students go through when experiencing a transition and understanding the factors that

affect these transitions is important because it allows student affairs professionals to create best

practices for specific populations of students.

The second theory used to create our programmatic intervention is self-authorship theory

through a critical and post-structural perspective. Baxter Magolda’s (2009) theory of self-

authorship is considered a holistic theory that is important to a student’s experience in higher

education. It is described as “…the capacity to define one’s beliefs, identity, and relationships.”

(Magolda, 2009, p. 631). Although, this is considered a holistic theory, it has its flaws. Abes and

Hernandez (2016) reviewed the scholarship on self-authorship and applied it to students from

diverse backgrounds. They found that with critical and post-structural perspectives challenge the

nature of development and the meaning of self-authorship. Basically, they found that self-

authorship is different for students from oppressed backgrounds. Some of their studies included

high risk students, with poor academic backgrounds, first-generation, and low-socioeconomic

status, college students who identifies as lesbian, and Latinx students. These (Abes &

Hernandez, 2016) studies found that some students with oppressed identities exhibited self-

authored ways of knowing earlier than those who participated in Magolda’s research. They also

found that students developed deep values before college. These values helped them sustain their

aspirations despite external factors that did not support their goals. When studying college

students who identified as lesbian, Abes and Hernandez (2016) found that when these students

developed their internal voice it made it easier for them to make meaning of their lesbian identity
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and its relationships to other identities. Abes and Hernandez (2016, p. 100) state that “systems of

oppression…shape context…students with oppressed identities must resist (that is, challenge)

these systems of oppression in order to develop and act on their internal voice that makes

meaning of these contexts.” Abes and Hernandez (2016) provide ways in which we can support

students with oppressed identities. These four themes will come up in the programmatic

intervention.

Programmatic Intervention

Intervention Outcomes

As we progressed in our research, we came up with a programmatic intervention called

"First Gen Latinx in College" that will benefit first-generation Latinx students and manage their

stress in college. One of the outcomes that we hope to get out of this program is student

involvement—students wanting to get involved and learn different ways to manage their stress.

Also, to guide students in their college journey by coming to this space with questions they were

too afraid to ask. Our theoretical framework guides our outcomes by deciding to do this

programmatic intervention based on the four critical and post-structural perspectives on self-

authorship. First, validating students with oppressed identities as knowers, valuing collective

knowledge, relationships, and sense of self, acknowledging the difficulty and risk associated

with agency and authenticity, and recognizing the performativity of identity. The following will

discuss how these four themes provided an evolving rationale for developing the programmatic

intervention.

Programmatic Intervention

We decided on doing a workshop and support group. This workshop and support group

will meet in person or virtually at least three times a semester for about 1 hour; more can be
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added if the group decides it is needed or wanted. There would be at least one administrator

supervising the group, but students can lead it. It is hoped that students will come at least to all

the sessions, but there are no requirements to attend. Our vision is to hold these events and

become an outlet of learning and destressing alongside making connections.

Activities that we hope to include are guest speakers that are Latinx and empowering to

the students and speakers that can provide information and external resources. Some of the

speakers that we will include are Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodriguez, the author of For Brown

Girls with Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts. The bulk of her work is around making accessible,

through storytelling and curating content, the theories and heavy material that is often only

thought in racist/classist institutions in academia (Rodriguez, 2021). Another speaker that we

will include is Luis Urietta, whose researcher’s interests are 1.) cultural and racial identities 2.)

agency as social and cultural practices, 3.) social movements and collective actions related to

education, and 4.) learning in family and community context. Dr. Urrieta will motivate our

students and bring questions about how he persevered in college. For the program intervention,

we plan to bring in Latinx students who have graduated from the institution and talk about how

they achieved goals and how they have also struggled. Officials on campus can sponsor these

two events. For example, Latino resource center, undocumented student support, Center for

Latino and Latin American Studies, and student organizations.

We also would like to hold an event where we discuss the transition to college, how it is

like for each student, and learn how they managed their transition and how it relates to stress.

You can see in the Appendix A some questions that can start the conversation, but students

should lead the discussion, and if need of a push, can ask follow-up questions. Also, we plan to

introduce resources to the students on managing their stress which can be done by a PowerPoint
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followed by an activity or just an activity. For example, one of the activities that can be held

could be a yoga session instructed by a Latinx instructor or a self-defense class to release tension

or stress differently.

You can see in the Appendix B a plan scheduled for the spring semester and when these

events can be incorporated. Some of these dates are scheduled purposely not to match specific

dates like midterms and finals. It is also essential to contact different departments and ask for this

program to be introduced to their students.

Rationale

When creating our programmatic intervention, we implemented transition theory through

the creation of a support group to help Latinx students dealing with stress. Through our

programmatic intervention we will target the four factors that affect a transition: situation, self,

support, and strategies. We will have programming that will help them develop their internal

voice and create strategies to help them cope with stress. The speakers we plan on inviting will

also be helpful to the students in that they will talk about their experiences as Latinx in higher

education who have dealt with familial relationships and their identities.

One of the ways we can support Latinx students experiencing stress is through Abes and

Hernandez’s (2016) first theme validating students with oppressed identities as knowers. In our

programmatic intervention, we bring in speakers that identify as Latinx to bring in their

knowledge and demonstrate that Latinx students can also persevere and develop cognitively. We

follow the second theme, valuing knowledge that is developed through community, relationships,

and traditions (Abes & Hernandez, 2016). In our intervention, we show this by bringing this

specific group together and building relationships in a commonplace. It also brings the topic of

building a community within the university. Recognizing the difficulty and risk associated with
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agency and authenticity, Students do not always have the privileges of creating mutual

relationships where they can assert their perspectives and respect their needs. Again, we show

this in our interventions by creating a space where students can practice creating a relationship,

emphasizing their viewpoints, and being heard. Finally, recognizing the performativity of

identity, which urges fluidity not only like self-authorship but also the nature of development.

This can be shown how Latinx students wear different hats in different spaces. For example,

students wear a different hat in college, which feels lost in their institution with no guidance.

Once they are with their families, they wear a hat of knowing anything and everything related to

college. We created this space to show that Latinx students are similar in many ways and can

lean on each other to preserve.

Evaluation plan

There are first-year programs as well as workshops that are general to the population.

However, there are not enough programs directed towards one group of students, which is Latinx

students. We thought of different ways to approach this programmatic intervention, and many of

the ideas we were thinking about were not what we had envisioned. Some of that planning

process consists of throwing out ideas like time commitment because this population already has

divided so much of their time. Adding something that is weekly can be very demanding and add

to their stress. We wanted to create a program that will be fun and informational that can be

taken and used in the future. We also thought about the impact that it can make on the student.

We wanted to make sure that they could connect to the intervention and learn how to manage the

types of stresses they encountered.

How we plan to evaluate our intervention is through a survey where students can leave

general feedback. You can see in the Appendix C that some of our questions consist of yes or no
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questions and questions that can be expanded on. These questions were generated to get a better

understanding of what the students are looking for and want to receive from this program. We

also had a question that asked if they wanted to talk more in person and give ideas of what

different things is we can add or incorporate into the program. We thought that student feedback

was essential because we can learn in what way the intervention can work and in what different

ways it can be improved.

Conclusion

Latinx college students face many challenges that lead to stress. Through our

programmatic intervention we hope that Latinx students gain the tools to properly deal with

stress. Our programmatic intervention was created through a transition theory and self-authorship

approach. Both are relevant to what Latinx students experience during their time in higher

education institutions. Through community discussions, invited speakers, evaluations, and

activities we hope to support students through a time when there are many moving pieces in their

lives and give them useful tools to deal with stress.

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References 

Abes, E. S., & Hernández, E. (2016). Critical and poststructural Perspectives on self-

authorship. New Directions for Student Services, 2016(154), 97–108.

https://doi.org/10.1002/ss.20178

Arbona, C., & Jimenez, C. (2014). Minority stress, ethnic identity, and depression among

Latino/a college students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 61(1), 162–168.

https://doi.org/10.1037/a0034914

Baxter Magolda, M. B. (2009). The activity of meaning making: A holistic perspective on

development. Journal of College Student Development, 50(6), 621-639.

https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.0.0106

Corona, R., Rodriguez, V. M., McDonald, S. E., Velazquez, E., Rodriguez, A., & Fuentes, V. E.

(2017). Associations between cultural stressors, cultural values, and Latina/o college

students’ mental health. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 46, 63–77.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-016-0600-5

Gist-Mackey, A. N., Wiley, M. L., & Erba, J. (2018). “You’re doing great. Keep doing what

you’re doing”: socially supportive communication during first-generation college

students’ socialization. Communication Education, 67(1), 52-72.

https://doi.org/10.1080/03634523.2017.1390590

Kortegast, C., & Yount, E. M. (2016). Identity, family, and faith: US Third Culture Kids

transition to college. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 53(2), 230-242.

https://doi.org/10.1080/19496591.2016.1121148
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Postsecondary National Policy Institute. (2020, June 19). Latino Students in Higher Education.

https://pnpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/PNPI_LatinoStudentsFactsheet_July2021.p

df

Rodriguez, P. D. M. (2021, September 11). BIO. Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez.

https://www.priscadorcas.com/bio/

Santiago, D. A., Laurel, J., Martinez, J., Bonilla, C., & Labandera, E. (2019, April). Latinos in

Higher Education: Compilation of Fast Facts. Excelencia in Education.

https://www.edexcelencia.org/Excelencia-Compilation-Fast-Facts

Wilbur, T. G. (2021). Stressed but not depressed: A longitudinal analysis of first-generation

college students, stress, and depressive symptoms. Social Forces, 100(1), 56-85.

https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/soaa091
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Appendix A

Discussion should be started by faculty (if needed), but students should lead the discussion. If

there is a long moment of silence, faculty or staff members can help by guiding the questions and

simplifying questions, so the answers come quickly.

Some of the questions can be used; not all must be completed. Remember this activity should

last about 45 minutes.

1. How do you describe your transition to NIU?

2. Did anyone receive any guidance? If so, where are they latinx people? If not, how did

that make you feel?

3. If you wish, you can do one thing differently in your transitioning process to college?

4. Can you think of what the university can do that could’ve helped transition?

5. How did your family members back home help with your transition to college or

hinder it?
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Appendix B

Events Calendar

September 2021- Reach out to speakers to set dates for spring

December 2021- Start promoting group to other departments

January 2022- Bring in Prisca Dorcas

February 2022- Host transition discussion with students

March 2022 - bring in speaker Luis Urietta

April 2022- Bring in yoga instructor

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Appendix C

Overall how satisfied or dissatisfied were you with the meeting? 

o Extremely satisfied (1)

o Moderately satisfied (2)
o Slightly satisfied (3)
o Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied (4)
o Slightly dissatisfied (5)
o Moderately dissatisfied (6)
o Extremely dissatisfied (7)

How interesting were the meeting presentations? 

o Extremely interesting (1)

o Very interesting (2)
o Moderately interesting (3)
o Slightly interesting (4)
o Not interesting at all (5)

How comfortable were you sharing your perspective?

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o Extremely comfortable (1)

o Moderately comfortable (2)
o Slightly comfortable (3)
o Neither comfortable nor uncomfortable (4)
o Slightly uncomfortable (5)
o Moderately uncomfortable (6)
o Extremely uncomfortable (7)

How productive or unproductive was the meeting? 

 Extremely productive (1)
 Moderately productive (2)
 Slightly productive (3)
 Neither productive nor unproductive (4)
 Slightly unproductive (5)
 Moderately unproductive (6)
 Extremely unproductive (7)

How likely are you to recommend others to attend this group?

o Extremely unlikely (1)

o Somewhat unlikely (2)
o Neither likely nor unlikely (3)
o Somewhat likely (4)
o Extremely likely (5)
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Please share any additional feedback you have for the meeting organizers. 

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Q9 Do you wish to meet with us to discuss more improving our meetings?

(if yes please provide your information)

o Yes (1) ________________________________________________

o No (2)
End of Block: Meeting Feedback