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University of New Mexico

(RE)MAKING MESTIZAJE: THE ROLE OF RACE AND GENDER NORMS IN LATINA COLLEGE STUDENTS DISCOURSE

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

This ideological critique project focused on the race and gender discourse of 20 self-identified Latina community college students between the ages of 18-30. Participants were purposively sampled and recruited from a large community college within the state of New Mexico. Over a period of eight months, two or more semi-structured interviews were conducted with each research participant. These interviews highlighted the participants race and gender experiences and their perceived expectations about these norms inside and outside of school. A critical hermeneutic methodological framework was employed in the interpretation of the participants' interviews. Discourse transcriptions were coded first for general themes and next for hermeneutical themes generated by Atlas Ti software. Significant researcher interpretations included links between illness and embodiment, problematic race and gender notions of exceptionality and empowerment, and mestizaje discourses of racial ignorance. Latina mestizaje discourse was juxtaposed to actual Latina practices of racial knowing. Ultimately, the author argues that mestizaje is a racializing and gendering process, ultimately organized by white supremacy, that offers less material privileges than its gives. Recommendations for further research and study are detailed in the concluding chapter.'

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Language, Literacy and Sociocultural Studies
Level thesis:degree_level
Dissertation
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies
Year
2014

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Santillanes, Sarah Leah
Contributors dc:contributor
  • Allen, Ricky Lee
  • Trinidad-Galvan, Ruth
  • Lopez, Nancy
  • Pimentel, Charise

Subjects

dc:subject × 5

Rights

Language dc:language
English

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:digitalrepository.unm.edu:educ_llss_etds-1038

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
University of New Mexico
Base URL
digitalrepository.unm.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Santillanes, Sarah Leah. (RE)MAKING MESTIZAJE: THE ROLE OF RACE AND GENDER NORMS IN LATINA COLLEGE STUDENTS DISCOURSE. Dissertation thesis, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/1928/23577