Ni Latino, Ni Negro: The (In)Visibility of Afro Latino Males in Higher Education Research

Abstract

For decades, academic researchers have reported on the lack of educational success of men of color in higher education. Many fixate on their lack of academic progress rather than attempting to understand how to adequately serve their needs. In response to the lack of asset based, solution driving research, many academics adopted the issue of young men of color as their educational platform. Yet, in their attempt to accentuate and position young men of color as competent and able individuals, the majority of researchers have overlooked Afro Latino males. In fact, Afro Latina/os as a whole remain largely invisible in higher education research since the majority of researchers adhere to monoracial and homogenous perspectives of race and ethnicity. Thus, this study highlights the lived experiences of six self-identified Afro Latino males in higher education by centering their experiences as racialized men on campus. Findings illustrate how Afro Latino males are forced to navigate a campus climate that does not acknowledge their physical presence (as Afro Latino males) or their academic needs. Further, they reported being forced to negotiate strict racial and ethnic categories in addition to language in order to gain peer acceptance on campus.