African and Latino/a American students: racial/ethnic identity, self-esteem, and attitudes towards school

This thesis attempts to illustrate how racial and ethnic identity can play a significant role in the educational experiences of African American and Latino American students in Oakland, California. Through in-depth interviews from 5 African and Latino American students and 2 classroom observations at Oakland Unified School District: McClymonds High School, this work analyzes the impact of racial and ethnic identity and how it plays into self-esteem and attitudes towards school for African and Latino American students, which overall can shape their educational experience in their school’s institutions. This thesis argues that African American and Latino American students who display a healthy consciousness of and comfort with their self-identified race and ethnicity also exhibit a strong desire to learn and excel academically.