Twenty-fifth International Conference on Learning

Abstract

Due to the underrepresentation of ethnic minorities as doctoral students and faculty in Counselor Education and Supervision (CES), the focus of this study was on the identities of Mexican American women as they pursued CES doctoral degrees in the United States. Anzaldúa’s Borderlands theory implements metaphor and Mexican histories to highlight the complexity of cultural ambiguities and was used to foster a multicultural framework of identity. Narratives Inquiry was used to explore both narrative content and narrative style of each participant. Therefore, data analysis included two-phases: exploring stylistic features of narratives (i.e., contradictions and turning points) and searching across different fields of experience within narratives (i.e., intrapersonal interactions, interpersonal interactions, and language use). Findings demonstrate that Mexican American women in CES doctoral programs grapple with conflicting cultural expectations as well as a sense of isolation during their doctoral programs. Participants also expressed a strong desire to give back to their communities and often used their research to forge a connection between their academic identities and their ethnic identities. Implications for promoting multiculturalism in higher education include developing culturally empowering mentorship and professional development opportunities that enable Mexican American women students to feel more connected during their doctoral programs.