The strength of a tigress: an examination of Latina first-generation college students’ tenacity during the rapid shift to remote learning

Abstract

During the Spring semester of 2020, due to a global pandemic caused by the widespread of the novel COVID-19 pandemic, a sudden swift shift to remote instruction radically shook student experiences. Unplanned and disruptive, new struggles (luchas) emerged. Inspired by Castillo-Montoya and Torres-Guzmán, who sought to reclaim the lived counter-narratives (testimonio) as a tool for understanding the complexities of Latina identity, this study delves into what helped and hindered first-generation college Latina students’ experience with rapid remote learning. The article shares discussions (platicas de testimonio). Grounded in critically compassionate intellectualism, this study evoked practical strategies for resilience and critical conscientization toward future learner-teacher solidarity.