Centering Latinx Students and Communities Amid Anti-DEI Policies: Strategies From Three Hispanic-Serving Institutions

Antidiversity, equity, and inclusion legislation in the United States presents a significant challenge to the mission of social work education, undermining the profession’s commitments to social justice, human rights, and the dignity and worth of all persons. Drawing on Latino/a critical race theory, this qualitative study employs a narrative inquiry approach to examine the experiences of three faculty members and one staff member at Hispanic-serving institutions across the Southwest, Northeast, and West. The narratives illuminate how social work educators are responding to shifting sociopolitical conditions to support Latinx students, faculty, staff, and communities. Findings identify three key strategies: creating affinity spaces, developing community partnerships, and implementing culturally grounded workshops. These approaches demonstrate relational and community-engaged practices that promote belonging, resilience, and advocacy, while also functioning as forms of resistance within constrained institutional contexts. Implications highlight the need to center Latinx voices through storytelling and community engagement, sustain affinity spaces, strengthen partnerships with Latinx-serving organizations, and integrate culturally responsive content across curricula and professional training. The study also underscores the disproportionate labor borne by Latinx faculty and staff, calling for increased allyship and shared institutional responsibility.