AN INTERSECTIONALITY ANALYSIS OF LATINO MEN IN HIGHER EDUCATION AND THEIR HELP-SEEKING BEHAVIORS

In trying to understand the underrepresentation of Latino men in higher education, this chapter critically examines the help-seeking behaviors of eight Latino men at the University of Arizona (UA). The racialized experiences of Latino men can add stress to their lives, depress their educational performance, and create a sense of marginalization within the college campus. Within the context of predominantly White institutions of higher education, the frequency of microaggressions coupled with a hostile campus climate can be draining and isolating for racial minority students, which leads many to suffer from racial battle fatigue. There should be spaces for Latino men to engage and critically work through what it means to be a man. This includes not only an analysis of sexism and homophobia but also an examination of the self-defeating habits of masculinity. At its base, avoidance of help-seeking behaviors by these participants was rooted in fear of vulnerability.