Race, Class, and Choice in Latino/a Higher Education

This book is an in-depth study which examines the lives of fifty ambitious Latino/a high school seniors in the San Francisco East Bay Area, following their entrance into college and career pathways over several years. This book examines the social forces that contributed to near-universal college attendance among these mostly low-income Latinos/as, all of whom attended fairly typical public schools. In an era of increased economic insecurity, decreased funding for schools, and rising college tuition, this book provides a balanced look at the individual choices and systemic constraints influencing today’s “college-for-all” orientation, while pointing the way toward possibilities for making college pathways smoother for all. 

• Sociology
• Higher Education
• College Pathways
• College Transitions
• Latino/a
• Race/ethnicity
• Gender
• Educational Inequality
• education
• ethnicity
• funding
• gender
• higher education
• policy
• Sample
• school
• social science

“Supported by rigorous field interviews and filled with novel theoretical mechanisms, Ovink’s book is required reading for all scholars and students who claim an interest in the obstacle course that confronts low-income and first-generation college students.  It is a major statement that will move the literature on college entry and college completion in productive new directions, inspiring follow-up work to understand when and how the optimistic rationalism of students bends to the constraints of our evolving system of higher education.” (Stephen L. Morgan, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor, Johns Hopkins University, USA)

 “In this comprehensive work, Ovink illustrates the social, economic, political, and historical contexts that shape the postsecondary pathways of 50 Latina/o youth. Her rich portrayal of these contexts breaks new ground in illustrating the structural factors that constrain and enhance postsecondary opportunities for these students. Researchers, policymakers, and practitioners who read this book will gain valuable tools to not only understand the barriers to college success, but to develop solutions to promote Latino postsecondary attainment.” (Anne-Marie Nuñez, Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, The University of Texas at San Antonio, USA)

“In this fascinating study, Ovink demonstrates that ‘college-for-all’ is an unfinished revolution. The Latino/a youth in Ovink’s study have fully internalized the message that college is the key to a better life and upward mobility. However, Ovink shows how the postsecondary landscape is highly unequal terrain, littered with many structural obstacles that can easily derail young Latino/as from achieving their goals.” (William Carbonaro, Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Notre Dame, USA )

“Sociologically engaging, critical, comprehensive—these are the words I would use to describe Ovink’s book. Rather than make assumptions about Latino/as’ college aspirations, Ovink examines how students’ choices are affected by their racialized and gendered statuses, and lack of access to resources. For these students, their ambitions remain high, yet ‘stalled.’ This is one of the best books out there exploring Latino/as and higher education!” (David G. Embrick, Associate Professor of Sociology, Loyola University Chicago, USA)

“Supported by rigorous field interviews and filled with novel theoretical mechanisms, Ovink’s book is required reading for all scholars and students who claim an interest in the obstacle course that confronts low-income and first-generation college students.  It is a major statement that will move the literature on college entry and college completion in productive new directions, inspiring follow-up work to understand when and how the optimistic rationalism of students bends to the constraints of our evolving system of higher education.” (Stephen L. Morgan, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor, Johns Hopkins University, USA)

• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, USA

  Sarah M Ovink

Sarah M. Ovink is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA. Her research on education, gender, race/ethnicity, and immigration has appeared in a number of academic journals, including Gender & Society, Social Science Research, and Research in Higher Education.

Policies and ethics