Community Cultural Wealth of Hispanic Engineering Students: A Study of Social Networks

In Texas, the population segment of college-eligible Hispanics is growing faster than any other ethnic/racial group.However, the underrepresentation of this segment in engineering and computer science has profound impacts on growth and innovation in the U.S. economy.Our research, grounded in an asset-based approach, is part of a growing number of efforts that investigate the resources Hispanic students use to navigate the US higher education system, which is not designed to serve underrepresented minorities.Assets from students' communities, families, languages, cultures, and experiences bolster students as they pursue their education and career goals.This paper presents first-year results from a four-year mixed methods study conducted in partnership with the University of Texas System LSAMP (Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation) and the University of Wisconsin's Networks and Cultural Assets Project (NCA).In spring 2023, we surveyed (N=222) and interviewed (N=22) Hispanic engineering or computer science majors in their junior year who attended one of eight institutions in the UT (University of Texas) System.We asked students questions about their Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) and examined the shape and features of their social support networks.Data collected included features of their social networks and the forms of cultural wealth in students' social networks.Other features include the relationships that exist between students' social networks, sense of belonging, and professional identity.These latter two variables are important predictors of degree attainment and commitment for historically marginalized students.