BELONGING: PERSPECTIVES OF MIDDLE-CLASS COLLEGE STUDENTS OF COLOR FROM PREDOMINANTLY WHITE HIGH SCHOOLS

Over the last 50 years, there has been a significant increase in middle-class students of color in the United States, with education playing a substantial role in this growth. Despite their rising numbers, academic literature often overlooks the educational experiences of these students, focusing instead on low-income students of color or the white middle class. This study addresses this gap through a retrospective analysis of the academic experiences and sense of belonging among middle-class college students of color from predominantly white high schools. Drawing on ten in-depth semi-structured interviews, this research examines how experiences at predominantly white high schools shape middle-class students of color sense of belonging in higher education at California State University (CSU). The findings reveal that middle-class students of color frequently encounter microaggressions and racism from peers and faculty in predominantly white high schools, resulting in a lack of belonging that influences their decision to enroll in majority-minority universities. Additionally, the study shows that these students find a sense of belonging in higher education by connecting with diverse peers, joining cultural clubs to affirm their identities, and receiving support and encouragement from culturally aware professors who recognize and foster their academic abilities.