ABSTRACT
The educational experiences of college students has long been a topic of discussion. However, the differential experiences of ethnic/racial minority students—Latina/os, African Americans, American Indians, and Asian Pacific Americans—attending predominantly White institutions (PWI) present unique challenges for understanding the educational system as a whole. In that the representation of ethnic/racial minority students within the educational system does not parallel national demographics (Aguirre & Martinez, 1993; Wilds & Wilson, 1998, Wilds, 2000), an evaluation of higher education policies is warranted. Specifically, ethnic/racial minorities have struggled to enter an educational system that is based on White or European American culture and values (Okibar, 1994). As such, higher education has historically excluded ethnic/racial minorities from equal educational access and opportunity (Feagin, Vera, & Imani, 1996; Justiz, Wilson, & Björk, 1994). Today, ethnic/racial minorities remain undereducated and underrepresented despite their progress in access to and graduation from American institutions of higher education (Wilds and Wilson, 1998), which in turn effects their economic and social mobility, perpetuating a cycle of unemployment and underemployment (Nevárez-La Torre & Hidalgo, 1997; Wilds, 2000).
