Unmasking Whiteness in Engineering: A Latino’s Perspective on Power and Exclusion

As a predominantly white and male discipline, engineering is influenced by dominant discourses created by Whiteness. Whiteness in engineering transcends demographics; it influences norms, values, and practices, and it works as a mechanism that perpetuates biases and historical privileges that favor white individuals, affecting access, opportunities, and representation. Terms like meritocracy, objectivity, and masculinity are often used in engineering education research without addressing Whiteness as the systemic issue sustaining these ideologies. This paper employs a counternarrative to reveal how Whiteness is central to systemic barriers in engineering. Through a critical perspective on Whiteness, we describe instances in which Whiteness permeates engineering culture, maintaining its dominance and preventing the validation of diverse epistemologies. By highlighting one faculty member’s experience, we explore more broadly how Whiteness manifests in engineering in U.S. higher education. Our analysis suggests that Whiteness leads to epistemic exclusion and diminishes the professional autonomy of faculty of color. In particular, this counternarrative shows how Whiteness forces faculty of color to constantly operate from a place of fear.