Date of Award

6-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Publisher

Santa Clara : Santa Clara University, 2026

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Abstract

While research on first-generation college students has grown over the last decade, existing literature primarily focuses on Latinx parents who have not graduated from college, leaving a significant gap regarding the role of first-generation graduates as parents. Guided by Yosso’s (2005) Community Cultural Wealth framework, this qualitative study utilizes a demographics questionnaire and testimonio interviews with four participants from East San Jose to examine how the personal and educational trajectories of Latinx first-generation college graduates inform and influence the support they provide their children. The key findings reveal that these parents engage in proactive advocacy rooted in navigational capital and leverage cultural and linguistic wealth as vital tools to support resilience in their children. However, they continue to face persistent systemic barriers, demonstrating that intergenerational educational persistence and mobility do not automatically equate to structural generational wealth. Ultimately, this study highlights the unique forms of capital that first-generation college graduate parents bring to their children’s college preparation. The study’s implications call upon higher education institutions to look beyond a single-generation framework and recognize a broader spectrum of multigenerational student and family needs when designing support systems.

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