Cultural meaning of education and parents' involvement in education: Perspectives of immigrant Latinos

Abstract

Objective: This qualitative research describes how low-education, largely undocumented immigrant Latino parents understand and engage in their children's education in the United States. Background: Education has a dual meaning in Latin America, emphasizing children's moral and academic development. It is unclear if this cultural model shapes how immigrant parents navigate the U.S. educational system with their children. Method: In-depth interviews were completed with low-education, largely undocumented immigrant Latino parents (N = 16). The narrative data were analyzed using a consensual method. Findings.: Analyses resulted in a conceptual model with three primary themes: Latino parents' bidimensional definition of education (i.e., moral and book smarts), unfamiliarity with education (i.e., the lack of educational experience and desire for generational improvement with education), and educational responsibilities (i.e., a division of labor between parents and teachers). Conclusions: The developed model suggests that low-education immigrant Latino parents are involved in children's education in various ways related to their cultural capital, personal experience, and view of school as a “general black box.”. Implications.: Eliminating the education gap among Latino youth whose parents are undocumented or have limited educational attainment requires acknowledging that “parental involvement” has diverse cultural meanings. Outreach programs based on the proposed model may create more productive partnerships between parents and schools.