Voices from the pipeline: high school completion among rural Latinos

Journal of Cultural Diversity, Summer, 2003 by Mary D. Lagerwey, Elizabeth Phillips, Kathi Fuller

Narrative inquiry is especially appropriate for gaining insights into non-dominant cultures (Niska, Snyder and Lia-Hoagberg; 1999; Vezeau, 1992, 1994; Sakalys, 2000). Studies in cultural competence increasingly show that all levels of nursing interventions must be grounded in and in dialogue with specific subgroups understanding of their lived experiences (McKenna, 1999).

Professional narratives can contrast sharply with narratives of those directly experiencing events (Baker & Diekelmann, 1994; Hess, 1996; Hunter, 1994; Sandelowski & Jones, 1996); it is thus vitally important to inquire about particular narratives about high school completion before planning and implementing specific community-based programs.

Research Questions

The following research questions guided the interviews:

1. What factors do Latino adolescents identify as supporting high school completion?

2. What factors do Latino adolescents identify as challenges to high school completion?

Data Collection

An earlier pilot mentoring program for at-risk teens, in the area suggested that many social and family factors such as role models, family support, and perceived, economic opportunities could be decisive in whether or not Latinos finished high school. However, opinions of the teens themselves had not been solicited, in any systematic way, nor did participants validate the impressions of the program's directors.

In this study, researchers and community members chose a group interview format and developed a list of questions with which to lead the discussions. The interview questions and consent forms were written in both Spanish and English. Latino community contacts suggested that interviewing members of church youth groups would be the most efficient way to reach Latino youth during the summer and made arrangements for the researchers to meet with youth leaders. Youth leaders gave permission for the researchers to conduct group interviews at their churches. Expedited Human Subjects Institutional Review Board (HSIRB) approval was obtained through the university. Researchers attended Mass at the chosen churches where youth leaders introduced them to the congregations. These churches conduct masses in Spanish and draw from a three-county area.

A total of 29 Latino youth took part in three group interviews. One interview was held in late August with seven members of the church's youth group, and one in September with ten youth who attended a tri-county all-day Latino youth retreat. A third interview of twelve youth was held in November with members of a second Latino Roman Catholic Church youth group. Prior to each group interview, an adult church member read a consent form in Spanish to parents during the announcement portion of the service, requesting permission to interview their children. An additional assent form was read to the youth before interviews began and lunch was served. At each interview, one or two mothers remained for the entire process. Latino community contacts who had arranged for the interviews requested that they not be taped. To capture the maximum amount of data, each researcher and bilingual research assistants took verbatim notes of the discussions.