Self‐segregation or self‐preservation? A critical race theory and Latina/o critical theory analysis of a study of Chicana/o college students

This article uses critical race theory (CRT) and Latina/o critical theory (LatCrit) to analyze the main findings of a longitudinal study of Chicana/o college students. Having found that when Chicana/o college students associate with other Chicano/as, their socially conscious values are reinforced, they increase their likelihood of pursuing careers in service of their communities, and they are more inclined to become involved in community service activities after college, this article adopts CRT and LatCrit to analyze the relationship between Chicano/a college students and their Chicana/o peers, within the broader racialized context of higher education. It examines how the arguments supporting the “racial balkanization” myth are framed by institutional racism, and reveals how and why Chicana/o college students benefit from associating with their Chicana/o student peer groups by drawing from their cultural resources to mitigate the racialized barriers erected by universities. The analysis argues for utilizing race‐oriented epistemologies that can help account for the racist and white supremacist ideologies that frame and promote deficit‐based beliefs about students of color in higher education.