ABSTRACT
The creation of the Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) designation resulted from decades of advocacy efforts to ensure access to resources and recognition as institutions that served many Latinx students. Texas was at the forefront of efforts to create the HSI designation due to long-term lack of access to quality education, and negative stereotypes about the Latinx population, and an expectation for individuals from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to assimilate into the dominant culture. Given that institutions of higher education achieve the HSI designation based on meeting a predetermined threshold, HSIs are highly diverse and serve a variety of missions. In addition to recognition as institutions that serve the majority of Latinx students, the HSI designation provided increased funding and services to assist these institutions in their efforts to offer a high-quality education to Latinx students. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
