The Value of Education and Educación : Nurturing Mexican American Children’s Educational Aspirations to the Doctorate

Guided by the framework of community cultural wealth, this study uncovered how 7 low-income, 1st-generation Mexican American PhDs interpreted their parents’ and families’ educational aspirations, messages imbued with aspects of normative parental/familial involvement as well as cultural forms of support. This study demonstrates the power of narratives that children carry with them as they navigate various educational systems. I discuss strategies for helping Mexican American students make meaning of these messages and negotiate potential conflicts with their goals of degree attainment, and I add a new dimension to research on the formation of educational aspirations and the role of educación.