The Experiences of Queer Students of Color at Historically White Institutions: Navigating Intersectional Identities on Campus

191 Pages·2020·1.134 MB·English

by  Antonio Duran

The Experiences of Queer
Students of Color at Historically
White Institutions
This significant text employs an intersectional analysis and considers the
role of queer frameworks to understand the experiences of Queer People
of Color at historically white institutions of higher education in the U.S.
By presenting data from student interviews and reflection journals, the
book explores what it means to hold multiple minoritized identities, and
asks how such intersections are navigated, contested, and experienced on
college campuses. Exploring both micro- and macro-level mappings of
marginalization and power, the text reveals issues including institutional
erasure, pervasive whiteness in college and LGBTQ+ communities,
institutionalized racism and heterosexism, and offers in-depth insights
into the material, psychological, emotional, and social impacts on queer
students of color. Ultimately, the analysis highlights the necessity of
employing intersectional frameworks for addressing interlocking systems
of oppression and offers recommendations for the integration and support
of queer students of color at historically white institutions (HWIs).
This monograph will offer invaluable insights for scholars, researchers,
and graduate students working in the fields of gender and sexuality,
higher education, and issues of educational equity, who wish to realize
the potential of intersectionality as an analytic framework for the study
of identity and development of affirming educational environments.
Antonio Duran is Assistant Professor of Administration of Higher
Education, Auburn University, USA.
Routledge Critical Studies in Gender and Sexuality
in Education
Series Editors Wayne Martino, Emma Renold, Goli
Rezai-Rashti, Jessica Ringrose and Nelson Rodriguez
17 Gender and Care in Teaching Young Children
A Material Feminist Approach to Early Childhood Education
Denise Hodgins
18 Gender, Definitional Politics and ‘Live’ Knowledge Production
Contesting Concepts at Conferences
Emily F. Henderson
19 Girls, Single-sex Schools, and Postfeminist Fantasies
Stephanie D. McCall
20 Latina Students’ Experiences in Public Schools
Educational Equity and Gender
Susan McCullough
21 Lad Culture in Higher Education
Sexism, Sexual Harassment and Violence
Carolyn Jackson and Vanita Sundaram
22 Queer, Trans, and Intersectional Theory in Educational Practice
Student, Teacher, and Community Experiences
Cris Mayo and Mollie V. Blackburn
23 Young British African and Caribbean Men Achieving Educational Success
Disrupting Deficit Discourses about Black Male Achievement
Cecile Wright, Uvanney Maylor, and Thomas Pickup
24 The Experiences of Queer Students of Color at Historically White Institutions
Navigating Intersectional Identities on Campus
Antonio Duran
For more information about this series, please visit: www.routledge.com
The Experiences of
Queer Students of Color
at Historically White
Institutions
Navigating Intersectional Identities
on Campus
Antonio Duran
First published 2021
by Routledge
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017
and by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2021 Taylor & Francis
The right of Antonio Duran to be identified as author of this
work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77
and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted
or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented,
including photocopying and recording, or in any information
storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from
the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be
trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for
identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this book has been requested
ISBN: 978-0-367-89432-0 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-01913-8 (ebk)
Typeset in Sabon
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
Contents
List of Figures and Tables vii
Acknowledgments viii
Introduction 1
PART 1
Introducing the Intersections 11
1 Complicating the Study of College Student Identity
Using Intersectionality 13
2 Centering Queer Students of Color: Setting the Stage for
the Study 29
PART 2
Exploring the Intersections 43
3 Intersectional Influences: Manifestations of Overlapping
Systems of Power 45
4 Navigating Historically White Institutions and Beyond:
The Role of Salient Experiences During College 60
5 Race, Sexuality, and More: The Intersecting Identities of
Queer Students of Color 74
6 Who Am I?: (Un)Learning and Identity Exploration 85
7 Moving Forward: Hopes Shared by Queer Students
of Color 104
vi Contents
PART 3
Embracing the Intersections 115
8 Implications for Intersectional Theorizing in Higher
Education 117
9 Implications for Historically White Institutions 125
10 Implications for Professionals 134
Epilogue 144
Methodological Appendix 147
References 159
Index 175
Figures and Tables
Table 2.1 Participant Information (Disclosed on
Demographic Form) 38
Figure 2.1 The Intersectional Model of Identity Exploration
for Queer Students of Color 40
Acknowledgments
This book was only possible with the love, support, and care of so
many people who comprise my community. To begin, it is important to
acknowledge the people that are the reason where I am today: my fam-
ily. In particular, my mom, sisters, as well as nephews and niece are a
constant motivation in my professional and personal life. From the very
start of my educational career, they supported my curiosity and the fer-
vor I had for learning. As I wrote the dissertation that led to this book,
they called to check in on me and perhaps without knowing it, gave me
the energy that I needed to complete the product. Specifically, my mom,
Marina Duran, has always been the hardest-working person I know. She
gives so much of herself and is my role model. She has instilled in me a
fire to always do what is right and to advocate for minoritized commu-
nities. My sisters keep me humble and tell me to achieve what initially
appears to be impossible. My nephews and niece inspire me to continue
to fight for equitable environments in education, as they will eventually
access and move through these spaces. So to Marina, Brenda, Priscilla,
Damian, Aaron, and Sofia – thank you.
Beyond my family, I want to take the opportunity to name another
person who was vital to me completing this project. My partner, Adam
Leftin, has consistently been my number one cheerleader as I have under-
gone my scholarly journey. He holds me when I feel overwhelmed,
encourages my interests, and knows how to make me smile. He brought
joy to me while I wrote this book and I am so lucky to be able to spend
my life with him. Without him, this would not have been possible.
Another group of people whom I would be remiss not to thank are
the faculty at The Ohio State University who assisted me as I conducted
this research. First, Susan Robb Jones served as my dissertation chair,
doctoral program advisor, and consummate mentor. Her guidance, prob-
ing questions, and motivating words were integral to the development of
this project. I am so grateful that our paths crossed and will forever ben-
efit from her presence in my life. Additionally, Marc Johnston Guerrero
and Wendy Smooth served as the other two members of my dissertation
committee. Their enthusiasm for the research and the points of inquiry
Acknowledgments ix
they provided during my dissertation defense helped me reflect on how
I wanted to frame the purpose of this text. I was fortunate to have the
opportunity to interact with their humility and brilliance. Finally, Anne-
Marie Núñez was an instrumental part for the genesis of this project,
having taught a class on intersectionality that led me to fall in love with
this framework. She has long given me wise counsel that makes me a
better scholar. In addition to this faculty who worked closely with me
in the dissertation, I want to send appreciation to the rest of The Ohio
State University Higher Education and Student Affairs community (both
faculty and students) for their constant advice and assistance. I was truly
blessed with amazing cohort members, peers, and professors who taught
me that anything is possible.
Additionally, there are countless members of my chosen family that
constantly asked me how the book writing was going, helped refined my
ideas, and served as possibility models throughout this process. People
like Alex C. Lange, David Pérez II, Romeo Jackson, Z Nicolazzo, and
many others are the reason why I have found a place in the academy
to do this work that unequivocally centers the lives of Queer and Trans
People of Color. Each and every one of you have been incredible thought
partners and friends who push my thinking. You challenge me to be more
critical of systems in postsecondary education, all while doing so in a
way that puts love at the forefront. One of my main hopes is that I can
continue to make you and my other mentors proud. Also, thank you to
the friends who have been alongside me for years (including people like
RJ, Matt, and Victor) and who have shown me what it means to create
queer worlds.
And finally, to the 20 participants who shared their stories with me –
Alejandro (Alejo), Avery Demán, Carmen, Dash, E, Ezekiel, gentle-
breeze, John Doe, Levix, Max Aguirre, Mirella Blackwell, Ness, Oliver,
Parker, Richard, Rosa, Rose E., Sarah Ray, TJ, and Wren – I will never
have the words to sufficiently thank you. During each of our conversa-
tions, I stated that I was committed to having your narratives recognized
in order to positively impact the conditions of other Queer People of
Color at HWIs. This book represents one of the steps that I will take in
order to honor the time and energy that you contributed to this project.
I will forever treasure and cherish the moments that we spent together,
imagining better futures for Queer Students of Color that will follow us.