1. Understanding your
Hispanic/Latino students
Faculty week presentation
Fall 2012
 Wilson García
 Eric o. Cintrón
Department of Languages and Linguistics

2. Labels: Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish? What
is the correct term? Why?
 Hispanic - U.S. Census  Hispanic- Robert
Bureau McNamara ―…includes
 Persons of Hispanic
a population of people
origin, in particular, were who share a common
those who indicated that
their origin was language heritage but
Mexican, Puerto have many significant
Rican, Cuban, Central or differences.‖
South American, or some
other Hispanic origin. It
should be noted that persons
of Hispanic origin maybe of
any race.

from: The Hispanic Population in the United
States: March 1993, Current Population
Reports, Population Characteristics, Series
P20-475.

3. Labels: Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish? What
is the correct term? Why?
Latino: People with a
Hispanic background
in USA can also be
call Latino. The term
Latino is more
inclusive and include
other people from
Central and South
America and the
Caribbean that NOT
speak Spanish.

4. Labels: Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish? What
is the correct term? Why?
Spanish:
People that
speak Spanish
and live in
Spain.

5. Labels: Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish? What is the
correct term? Why?
Guarione M. Díaz ―In this book, I use the terms
Hispanic, Latino, and Hispanic American without
intending to express a preference. Ultimately, I
consider the choice personal and respect those
of others.‖

6. Labels: Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish? What is the
correct term? Why?
 Although the two are often used
interchangeably, there are subtle, but significant
differences in meaning, said Carlos von Son, a
professor of multicultural studies and world
languages at Palomar College.
 "There is a difference between 'Hispanoamerica'
and 'Latinoamerica,'" said von Son.
"Hispanoamerica refers to Spanish-speaking
countries. Latinoamerica includes Brazil, because
their language roots (Portuguese) come from a
Latin language."

7. Who’s Hispanic/Latino?
Jenifer López Andrea Sotomayor

8. Who’s Hispanic/Latino?
Antonio Banderas Leonel Messi

9. Who’s Hispanic/Latino?
David Ortiz Cantante XuXa

10. Who’s Hispanic/Latino?
Mariela Castro Benedita da Silva

11. Who’s Hispanic/Latino?
Isabel Allende Gabriel García Márquez

12. Who’s Hispanic/Latino?
George P. Bush Dilma Rousseff

13. Who’s Hispanic/Latino?
Edson Arantes do Nascimento
“Pele” Rigoberta Menchú Tum

14. Demographics? How many, where, and why?
How many people in the US are of
Hispanic origin?
 a) 4 million
 b) 14 million
 c) 40 million

15. Demographics? How many, where, and why?
After Mexicans and Mexican-
Americans, which is the second
largest Hispanic group in the US?
 a) Cubans
 b) Puerto Ricans
 c) Dominicans

16. Demographics? How many, where, and why?
How many people of Hispanic
origin live in NH?
 a) 3,000
 b) 15,000
 c) 37,000

17. Demographics? How many, where, and why?
In the three largest high schools of
Manchester, NH, what is the percentage
of students of Hispanic origin?
 a) 50
 b) 12
 c) 8

18. Language
 English language
learners (immigrants
and international –
Spanish
dominance).
 Heritage learners
(Bilingual with
English dominance).
 English only
(Fry, 2002)

19. Cultural characteristics
The degree of presence
of these cultural
characteristics will vary
between
individuals, depending
on factors such as:
 Level of acculturation.
 Generational status.
 Socio-economics.
(Moll & Irwin, 2008).

20. Group orientation
 Hispanics culture is
predominantly
collectivist.
 Individuals are seen
first as members of
a family or cohesive
group.
 The wants and
needs of the group
comes first.
(Carr-Ruffino, 2005)

21. Group orientation
 Focus on and
maintaining
positive, personal
relationships.
 Agreeing with other
regardless of
personal opinions
and feelings.
 Fear of losing face
or shame by the
group
(Carr-Ruffino, 2005)

22. Group orientation
Be simpático:
 Polite and respectful.
 Don’t express
criticism, confrontation, or
assertiveness.
 Show a certain level of
conformity and empathy for
the feelings of others.
 Try to behave with dignity
and respect toward others.
 Value working toward
harmony in interpersonal
relationships.
(Carr-Ruffino, 2005)

23. Group orientation
 Family is the
center of personal
existence.
 Families are
inward-focused
and members rely
on the these
relationships for
their emotional
security.
 Family business is
considered private.

24. Group orientation
 Conform to family
beliefs and wishes.
 Being influenced
by relatives’
perceptions and
feelings.
 Sacrifice for the
welfare of the
family or in-group.
(Carr-Ruffino, 2005)

25. Proxemics
 Feel comfortable with physical proximity.
 Closer personal space.
 Stand and stay closer.

26. Personal Space
 Hispanics tend to
touch each other
during a
conversation
(hugging and
kissing) (Roll &
Irwin, 2008).
 Sometimes men
embrace instead
of shaking
hands (Carr-
Ruffino, 2005).

27. Time orientation
Present-oriented
sense:
 Valuing the here and
now, especially the
interpersonal
relationships that
are unfolding
currently.
 Temporarily
forgetting about
day’s worries.
(Ting-Tommey &

28. Time orientation
 Time is a cycle.
 Several tasks at
the time.
 Changes at the
last minute (Roll
& Irwin, 2008).

29. Time orientation
 Meeting deadlines
and being on time
differs between
study/work and
social situations.
(Carr-Ruffino, 2005).

30. The Spiritual World
 The spiritual and physical world live along
side.
 Day of the Dead: Dead is not to be fear
(Roll & Irwin, 2008)

31. The Spiritual World
Religious affiliation among Hispanics
70
60
50
40 68
30
20
10 15 17
0
Roman Catholic Protestant Other/Secular
Source: Suro et al., 2007

32. I’m Controlled
Hispanics are less likely to believe they are in
control of their own destiny
―Things happen to me and I have
little control over my life. It depends
on my government, my boss, my
fate, God’s will…‖
(Carr-Rufino, 2008)

33. Hierarchy and status
 Hierarchy and
status is very
important in
Hispanic culture.
 It brings stability
and determine
attitudes and
behaviors
according to the
status (Moll &
Irwin, 2008).

34. Hierarchy and status
 Authority figures are
expected to set clear
standards and
boundaries for
compliance of their
policies and rules.
 Authority figures are
expected to make all
important decisions
and others do not
question them (Moll &
Irwin, 2008).

35. Hierarchy and status
 Hispanic show greater deference
and respect toward authority
figures (i.e.; professors).
 Power distance between authority
figures and subordinates is
greater (Moll & Irwin, 2008).
 ―Call me Wilson‖

36. Communication patterns
Speaking indirectly:
 Hispanics
communicate
indirectly with
strangers, outsiders,
or authority figures.
 A way to be polite.
 It may be difficult to
determine exactly
what they think or
feel
(Moll & Irwin, 2008).

37. Communication patterns
High concern for
feelings:
 Hispanics may tell
you what you want to
hear out of concern of
your feelings.
 Personal opinions
and believes are less
important than
respecting the other’s
person feelings
(Moll & Irwin, 2008).

38. Communication patterns
High sensitivity to
criticism:
Reaction to criticism
depends on the status
of the source.
 Authority figures:
seriously/sheepishly.
 Equal: Humorous.
 Lower: Not
tolerated. (Moll &
Irwin, 2008).

39. Gender roles
 Hispanic culture and
Anglo culture
continue to differ
markedly in how
gender roles are
viewed in the two
cultures.
 In general, there are
many more rules
governing male and
female Hispanic
behaviors.
(Moll & Irwin, 2008)

40. Role of the Hispanic Woman
Attractive Nurturing

41. Role of the Hispanic Man
 Strong
 Masculine
 Chivalrous and
respectful toward
women, those in
position of
authority, and the
elderly
 Honorable
(Moll & Irwin, 2008)

42. Challenges of Hispanics
undergraduates

43. Hispanics in college
In 2007, 88 % of
Latinos in higher
education were
native-born U.S.
citizens
(Santiago & Cunningham
2005).

44. Generation
Percent of high school Hispanic students
enrolling in college
(ages 18-24)
45 42
40 36
35
30 26
25
20
15
10
5
0
First Second Third or higher
Source; Fry, 2011

45. Students at PSU
by ethnicity and race
100 81.2
80
60
40
20
0.9
0 0.5
0.4
0.3
White
Hispanic
Asian
Native
Black
American
Source:
Collegeresults.org

46. First-generation college
Hispanic students are
more likely than other
undergraduates to be
first-generation college
students (58 vs. 46
percent).
(Santiago, Lopez &
Skoloda, 2009)

47. First-generation college
Lack of social capital:
As the first in their
family to go to
college, the systemic
knowledge and
support systems may
be more limited than
for others.
(Santiago, Lopez &
Skoloda, 2009)

48. First-generation college
―The combination of
Poor information:
minimal adult supervision
and poor information
often causes Latina/o
students to make poor
choices about
postsecondary
education, choices that
might hinder or delay
their chances to achieve
a higher education
degree‖
(Zalaquett &

49. First-generation college
―I wish I would have been educated
about the intricacies of college
admissions and preparation. I ended up
not attending the 1st year because I
couldn’t complete all the required
paperwork and didn’t know that I qualify
for a scholarship‖
(Zalaquett & Lopez, 2006)

50. Financial concerns
Low income families A significantly
proportion of
Hispanics are from
low family incomes
and thus significantly
lower Expected
Family Contributions
(EFCs) to pay for
college than other
students
(Santiago, D. &
Cunningham, A., 200
5)

51. Financial concerns
Work demands Hispanics are
more likely to work
more hours per
week than non-
Hispanics.
(Longerbeam,
Sedlacek, & Alatorre
2004).

52. Financial concerns
 Hispanic students are
Part-time attendance:
more likely than other
undergraduates to be
enrolled part-time than
non-Hispanics (51 vs.
47 percent)
(Santiago, 2009).
 Many Hispanics attend
part time in order to
work full-time
(Fry, 2002).

53. Financial concerns
Part-time attendance:
At PSU, 5.4% of
all students
attend part-time
(Collegeresults.org).

54. Financial concerns
Part-time attendance
Research shows that
students enrolled part-
time are less likely to
complete a degree in a
timely manner than
students enrolled full-
time
(Santiago, Lopez & Skoloda, 2009)

55. Financial concerns
Stress and financial issues
Hispanic students
experience high
levels of stress
due to financial
concerns
(Quintana et
al., 1991)

56. Financial concerns
Hispanics are
Financial issues and dropout
significantly more likely
to attribute a decision
to leave college to an
inability to afford
continuing in higher
education.
(Longerbeam,
Sedlacek, and Alatorre 2004).

57. Pre-college preparation
Source: Hakimzadeh & Cohn, 2007

58. Pre-college preparation
Remedial courses
 As many first-year
college students, many
undergraduates of
Hispanic background
required remedial
English courses.
 This more an issue of
literacy and less of
language
(Cerna, Pérez &
Sáenz, 2009)

59. Older students
Retention vs. college age
 Completion rates
diminishes as the student
ages (National Center for
Education
Statistics, 2001).
 Younger students are less
likely to be married and
have children thus more
likely to remain focused on
their education (Fry, 2002).

60. Older students
College age vs. income
College enrollment at a
later age is more costly.
Older adults tend to
earn more and thus
they are deferring more
income than a younger
student if they choose
to study rather than
work
(Fry, 2002)

61. Campus climate
Identity
Hispanic students
who are highly
ethnically identified
are at risk in
institutions where
Hispanics are
underrepresented
(Torres, 2004).

62. Campus climate
Sense of belonging
Researcher
indicates that a
racial climate
perceived as
hostile negatively
affects a sense of
belonging in
college
(Lascher, nd).

63. Campus climate
Sense of belonging: It has been found
that Hispanic
students are most
likely to perceive less
sense of belonging
than White students
(Johnson et
al., 2007).

64. Campus climate
Lack of multicultural centers
Lack of multicultural
centers deprive
minority students of a
great support system
to receive
social, cultural and
advising support
(Jones et. al. 2002)

65. Campus climate
Faculty and
administrators are
a major factor in
creating a
hospitable and
supportive campus
environment (Colin
et al. 2006).

66. Campus climate
Lack of Hispanic faculty and
staff
The lack of Hispanic
faculty and staff
who may serve as
mentors and
advisors makes the
college experience
more difficult for
Hispanic students
(Torres, 2004).

67. How could we the faculty and
staff help Hispanic students
succeed at PSU?
1. Work in small groups and consider for a
few minutes some strategies that we, as
faculty and staff, could use to assist
Hispanic/Latino students to be
academically successful in this institution.
2. Then, each small group will share some
of their strategies the rest of the
audience.

68. Thanks/Gracias

69. References
 Carr-Ruffino, N. (2005). Making diversity work. Upper Saddle River, NJ:Pearson.
 Cerna, O. S., Pérez, P. A., & Sáenz, V. (2009). Examining the precollege attributes and
 values of Latina/o bachelor’s degree Attainers. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 8(2), 130-157. doi:
10.1177/1538192708330239
 Diaz, G. M. (2007) . The Cuban American Experience: Issues, Perceptions, and Realities.
 Fry, R. (2002). Many Enroll, Too Few Graduate. Retrieved from http://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/11.pdf
 Fry, R. (2011). Hispanic college enrollment spikes, narrowing gaps with other groups. Retrieved from
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/2089/college-enrollment-hispanics-blacks-educational-attainment
 Hakimzadeh S., & Cohn, D. (2007). English usage among Hispanics in the United States. Retrieved from :
http://www.pewhispanic.org/2007/11/29/english-usage-among-hispanics-in-the-united-states/
 Johnson, D. R., Soldner, M., Leonard, J. B., Alvarez, P., Inkelas, K. K., Rowan-Kenyon,
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From Different Racial/Ethnic Groups. Journal of College Student Development, 48(5), 525-542. doi:
10.1353/csd.2007.0054

70. References
 Jones, L., Castellanos, J., & Cole, D. (2002). Examining the Ethnic Minority Student Experience at Predominantly
White Institutions: A Case Study. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 1(1), 19-39. doi:
10.1177/1538192702001001003
 Kanno & Harklau (Ed.)(2012). Linguistic minority students go to college. Preparation, access, and persistence.
New York: Routledge
 Klein, Beltranena, & McArthur (2004). Language Minorities and Their Educational and Labor Market Indicators—
Recent Trends, NCES 2004–009. Washington, DC: 2004.
 Longerbeam, Susan D., William E. Sedlacek, and Helen M. Alatorre. 2004. In Their own voices: Latino student
Retention.‖ NASPA Journal 41: 538-550.
 McNamara, R. (2009). Muilticulturalism in the Criminal Justice System.
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Adjustment in Higher Education.‖Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences 13: 155-168.
 Roll & Irwin (2008). The invisible border. Latinos in America. Boston: Intercultural Press.

71. References
 Santiago, D.A. & Cunningham A.F. (2005). How Latino Students Pay for College: Patterns of Financial Aid in
2003-04. Washington, DC: Excelencia in Education and the Institute for Higher Education Policy.
 Santiago, D.A, Lopez, E., & Skoloda, M., (2009) What works for Latino students in higher education. Retrieved
from: http://edexcelencia.org/sites/default/files/EE09Compendium.pdf
 Suro, Escobar, Livingston, Hakimzadeh (2007). Changing faiths. Latinos and the transformation of American
religion.
 Retrieved from: http://www.pewhispanic.org/files/reports/75.pdf
 Ting-Toomey & Chung (2012). Understanding intercultural communication. New York: Oxford University Press.
 Tinto, V. (1987). Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition. Chicago: The University
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 Torres, V. (2004). Familial Influences on the Identity Development of Latino First-Year Students. Journal of
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 Zalaquett, C. & Lopez, A. (2006). Learning from the stories of successful undergraduate Latina/Latino students:
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