Decoding the Hidden Curriculum: Latino/a First Generation College Students’ Influence on Younger Siblings’ Educational Trajectory

SocArXiv / April 2020


Past research demonstrates that familial and community support can aid the academic success of Latino/a students. However, few studies explore how older siblings influence their younger siblings’ education trajectory including primary, secondary, and post-secondary education. Drawing on 25 in-depth interviews with Latino/a first generation college students at a large research university in Southern California, I find that older siblings assist their younger family members by (a) choosing schools, (b) assisting with reading comprehension, (c) helping with homework assignments, and (d) post high school preparation. In doing do, they demystify norms and rules about education and attempt to position their loved ones on a path of upward mobility. I capture the labor Latino/a children of immigrants provide to their families and how these contributions can result in tensions between parents and children. Findings advance frameworks in immigrant brokering, Latino/a families, and education.

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