1. Family Support of Latino/a College Students How and why does gender matter? Regina Figueiredo-Brown UW, Madison

2. Upward mobility is increasingly contingent on higher education Latino students “are worse off in every available measure of educational achievement and attainment at the primary, secondary, and postsecondary levels” (Desmond & López Turley, 2009). Latinos account for 56% of the nation’s growth (Pew Hispanic Center). They are the fastest growing and least educated. There are private and public costs to Latino attrition.

3. Latino Attrition Latinos enroll in college at a higher rate than most ethnic/racial minorities (Hernandez & Lopez, 2002) However, in 2009 while 17% of Blacks and 50% of Asians obtained a Bachelor degree only 12% of Latinos did (Pew Hispanic Center) There seems to be a leak in the pipeline (Hernandez & Lopez, 2002, Gándara et al, 1998)

4. A Gendered Experience Latinas experience more stress in college related to: Finances Academics Family Obligations and Expectations Gender-role Stereotyping

5. Role of Family Familial Support ◦ Latinos/as have strong ties to their families (broadly defined) ◦ Families play important role in Latino/a life ◦ Families play central role in educational life ◦ Families are important factor in student retention

6. Methods ◦ Survey Data – 155 Latino respondents ◦ Support Measures ◦ Significance between Latino/Latinas? Financial – 13 measures Managerial – 7 measures Emotional – 11 measures Does family help pay for: Does family help with: Does family: Car, cell, food, R & B FAFSA completionEncourage staying in school money, credit card, etc.Chores, tasks, childcare, etc Expectations, etc. ◦ Interview Data – 12** Latino Respondents ◦ Coded for familial support, developed receptivity scale, coded for receptivity by gender

7. Receptivity Scale 1Does not recognize support 2Resents support 3Is indifferent to support 4Recognizes it, accepts it, but would rather not have it 5Recognizes it, appreciates it, would accept more Examples: “...I don’t really, I don’t like asking them for money. So if I really need to then I’ll ask her, obviously like my mom I know she’d help me, but I try not to ask for help from them.” 4 “I don’t get help from anybody.” 1 “…my mom pays for it. She told me, like she specifically told me, you know, she’s like, I want you to concentrate on school. Let me just take care of the rest. So she had to get two jobs now.” 5

8. Results: Survey Data In the areas Latinos/as receive assistance, males receive more

9. Are they different in the aggregate? Test: when all financial measures are combined is there a difference between what Latinos/Latinas report? Results: Males receive more

10. Results Managerial Support Measure – No difference based on gender Emotional Support Measure – Only 1 measure was significant: “My family encourages me to stay in college” Strongly agree :90% males, 70% females Strongly disagree, disagree, neither disagree/agree: 3% males, 13% females

11. Latinas reported higher levels of worry and lower levels of mental health than Latino respondents Stress

12. Interview Data Results: 5 out of 6 Latinos rate themselves as a 4 on the receptivity scale “… I hate asking my mom for money, like it makes me feel bad. I hate asking for money. So I wanted to be independent and earn money on my own because I can.” 4 out of 5 Latinas rate themselves as a 5 on the receptivity scale “…my mom is helping me she is going to, she’s helping me remake my room into like a dorm. She’s letting me stay here. She’s like oh just as long as you do well in school I will provide the housing, the food, the clothes and all that. I’m like OK.”

13. Paradox Stress increases attrition Financial support increases attainment Yet, Latinos report less stress, receive more financial support, but are less likely than Latinas to complete a bachelor degree

14. In each category, there is an increase in difference by gender usually favoring men Overall Sample Results  Financial Support – there was a difference by gender in 9 of the 13 measures  Emotional Support – there was a difference by gender in 2 measures -  Managerial Support – there was a difference by gender in 5 of the 7 measures

15. Next Steps Comparison between Latino and Non Latino students in the study Given that there is a difference in many support measures in the overall sample of students the difference in support may be less about ethnicity and more about gender

16. Conclusion The Latinas in this study ◦ report higher levels of stress and lower levels of mental health ◦ receive less financial support from their families ◦ are less likely to report that their families encourage them to stay in school. ◦ Yet, based on national data, Latinas are 20% more likely to complete a four year degree More research is needed to determine if and how the levels of familial support matter to Latino/a students.