There was a time in American history when college was exclusively reserved for white people. Since colleges began allowing people of color to attend, students of color have still felt the weight of institutionalized racism in their learning environments. Following the Black Lives Matter movement of the early 2010s, there has been a growing number of colleges adding positions solely dedicated to provide “diversity and inclusion” to its student body. So far, not much research has been done providing nuances to this position that is recent to the history of college staff. This project brings: (1) a historical analysis of archived reports, newspaper articles, and written conversations on student race-related activism throughout the history of collegiate institutions in the Midwestern region of the United States; as well as (2) a series of qualitative interviews from the same colleges to examine modern-day race relations within these institutions between students and staff members. The meanings of 'diversity' and 'inclusion' can be interpreted differently, and these varied connotations can create inconsistencies between students and staff. Initial research shows there is still a divide between the students of color and administrations on the matters of racial equity. Inherent institutional values, such as order and hierarchy that are practiced by college employers, can negatively affect their dynamic with students and protests for equity. This project adds how historical events coincide with college student activism along with how newly established college diversity and positions are functioning in today’s climate.

Transfronterizo/a/x students engage in a near-daily cross-border commute to attend public and private school. In this process, they develop complex multicultural-intersectional identities as they navigate geopolitical and cultural borderlands. The current study focuses on the experience of students from the Tijuana-San Diego border region. Students develop feelings of exclusion and resort to code-switching as they attempt to integrate themselves into U.S. and Mexican society. Once students move away from a transborder lifestyle and enter institutions of higher education, they are no longer forced to become a different persona when crossing the border. The current study is interested in the student’s identity formation and the psychological impacts of this process. Using mixed-methods and several frameworks such as The Social-Ecological Model, Borderland Theories, and Legal Consciousness Perspective, I ask: What are the psychological impacts of identity formation processes in first-generation, queer, male, transfronterizx students of color in higher education? How do the psychological impacts and issues related to identity affect these students in academic spaces? I will gather data using 10-15 semi-structured one-on-one interviews and participant responses to the Everyday Discrimination Scale (EDS) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DAS). The study hopes to minimize the perpetuation of marginalization of the students in institutions of higher education by acknowledging and understanding the complex multicultural-intersectional identities of this community. Failure to do so may increase psychological ramifications that force these students to navigate academic spaces in harsh conditions.