WIP: Exploring the racialization of Latinos/as/xs in the U.S. Southwest and its Implications on Deficit Ideologies in Engineering Education

This work in progress paper explores the historical impact of racialization and deficit ideologies on the education of Latinos/as/xs in the U.S. Southwest. It aims to provide evidence of how historical conceptualizations of race have impacted and continue to affect the education of Latino/a/x engineering students. Focusing on the research question of how racialization and whiteness influence the framing of deficit ideologies toward Latino/a/x engineering students, the larger study described here involves twelve self-identified Latino/a/x engineering sophomore and junior students from Hispanic Serving institutions (HSIs) and emerging HSIs. Testimonios were collected to uncover instances of racialization and the subsequent framing of deficit ideologies. A thematic analysis approach was used to identify emerging themes related to the forms of racialization experienced by students and the resulting educational challenges. Preliminary analysis reveals that racialization occurs in both engineering and non-engineering spaces, leading to a lack of recognition from administration, professors, and white students regarding the impacts of overt and covert whiteness that led to deficit thinking. The paper emphasizes the importance of counternarratives in engineering education and the need to validate and acknowledge the lived realities of Latino/a/x students stemming from historical racialization.