Narratives of Persistence and Perseverance: Mexican American Men Discuss Overcoming Barriers to Completing a Four-Year Degree

Mexican American men have the lowest college completion rate of any ethnic group in the United States. Mexican American men lag behind Asian and White students academically and slightly higher than Black and Pacific Islander college graduates. The study attempts to understand the significance of "The Vanishing Latino Male" (Saenz & Ponjuan, 2009) in addressing Mexican males in colleges and universities. This paper will examine the historical journey of Mexican migration to the United States. A brief history of Mexican immigration to the U.S from the time of the Mexican Revolution through the 1940's Bracero Program and the 1970s is presented. The historical summation seeks to provide clarity as to the large numbers of Mexican Americans migrating to California from World War II through the 1970s. Current literature will address Mexican American males in education through a Critical Race Theory lens. Mexican American males in the study shared stories and photos of persistence and perseverance through a narrative inquiry as they discussed overcoming structural and cultural barriers to completing a 4-year degree. Participants in this study demonstrated their educational journey through moments of hope, appreciation of mentor and familial support, and the desire to overcome barriers to their educational journey. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]