ABSTRACT
This chapter draws on data from the Black and Latino Male School Intervention Study, and highlights how the intersections between academic aspirations, expectations for social mobility, and masculine identity are shaped by neoliberal ideals for Latino young males. It begins with some conceptual background on Latino masculinity and presents a literature review of masculinity and schooling, and a description of the setting and participants of this study. The case study of Jacob is presented, in order to illustrate the quantitative data, which reflects the experiences of the larger group of Latino male students that participated in the Black and Latino Male School Intervention Study. Jacob’s comments highlight how he manages conflicting discourses regarding what academic success means to him. Jacob confirms that identities are not formed in isolation. Instead identities in relation to school and manhood informed the interaction between social contexts, specifically schools and community, and the unique ethos of Latino masculinity promoted in each of these locales.
