Term of Award

Spring 2024

Degree Name

Doctor of Education in Curriculum Studies (Ed.D.)

Document Type and Release Option

Dissertation (open access)

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Department

College of Education

Committee Chair

Sabrina Ross

Committee Member 1

Meca Williams-Johnson

Committee Member 2

Beverly King-Miller

Committee Member 3

Ming Fang He

Abstract

To address the lack of culturally specific research on subgroups of Black women in the educational environment and Haitian immigrant women in U.S. educational institutions, the study documented the educational experiences of four Haitian women who immigrated to the United States and obtained degrees in U.S. universities. Using a narrative interview research design, this qualitative study collected data from four Haitian immigrant women who were first-generation college graduates through individual interviews and a focus group discussion. Data analysis involved coding to identify emerging themes. Using the two tenets of Black feminist theory, lived experiences as knowledge and intersectionality, the research identified several key findings. The study revealed the multiple barriers that the women encountered while attending U.S. schools due to their ethnicity, immigration status, and status as non-English speakers and the impact on their bicultural socialization and the formation of their bicultural identities. The women expressed that their strong cultural identities from Haiti had a significant influence on the ways they addressed the obstacles they encountered, as well as the formation of their bicultural identities and socialization. The women explained that, although the values instilled by their parents and family were instrumental in achieving their goals, they also had to identity supports, locate resources, and learn new skills to navigate their new environment. Having to use information and skills from both cultures assisted the women in developing their bicultural identity and socialization competence. Study findings indicate a need for additional research within subgroups of Black women in general, including Haitian women, to identify the cultural values and unique needs of individual sub groups. Such research can inform universities in their efforts to become agents of change by identifying the supports and resources necessary for minority groups to meet their academic goals. The research surmised that more research in the area of ethnic and cultural identities and the intersecting roles that contribute to academic progress toward college graduation is needed

OCLC Number

1433091777

Research Data and Supplementary Material

No

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