The Latinx Guide to Graduate School

by Genevieve Negron-Gonzales, Magdalena L. Barrera

In The Latinx Guide to Graduate School Genevieve Negrón-Gonzales and Magdalena L. Barrera provide prospective and current Latinx graduate students in the humanities and social sciences fields with a roadmap for surviving and thriving in advanced-degree programs. They document the unwritten rules of graduate education that impact Latinx students, demystifying and clarifying the essential requirements for navigating graduate school that Latinx students may not know because they are often the first in their families to walk that path. Topics range from identifying the purpose of graduate research, finding the right program, and putting together a strong application to developing a graduate student identity, cultivating professional and personal relationships, and mapping out a post--graduate school career. The book also includes resources for undocumented students. Equal parts how-to guide, personal reflection, manifesto, and academic musing, this book gives a culturally resonant perspective that speaks to the unique Latinx graduate student experience.

272 pages, Paperback

Published March 3, 2023

Reviews

[RYAN PHAM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Huh. I thought this was going to be a book that I glazed over and sped read super fast.

So what it is is a crash course in how to survive grad school coming from someone who understands the struggles of grad school as a Latinx person and who understands that most of her intended audience are first generation students who are completely out of the loop in terms of graduate degrees and what it takes. She genuinely covers a lot more content in such a short amount of time. She covers:

1. Thể difficult lifestyle adjustment of living as a penniless grad student
2. Thể increasing difficulty of getting a tenured position in the neoliberal economy
3. Thể different types of degrees
4. Parental expectations to talk in a down to earth way and live nearby. They are deeply afraid of things changing and losing their kids to a new lifestyle, sợ code switching is needed
5. Thể importance of mentoring thể next generation
6. Being good to people in relationships and not leaving them worse off then when you found them
7. How to work on projects by scheduling backwards from the deadline
8. Thể discrimination found in workplaces and academia since it was built for white faces
9. Thể difficulty of academic freedom when your institutions finances are connected to a big donor
10. Thể difficulty of having kids while in academia

[Queyka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much. It was equally fun and informative. The second person voice contributed to the nurturing and genuine tone. I especially enjoyed the consejos sprinkled throughout.

Although this book is aimed at future/ early-career Latinx scholars, it is an absolute must read for all immigrants/ children of immigrants who are in undergraduate or graduate school. I think this book has good general info for STEM or disciplines other than social sciences.

It is absolutely worth completing at least some of the reflection questions. I will definitely be on the lookout for other works by these 2 brilliant Latinas.

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Timely and excellent. Covers all the logistical bases, with great tips and personal anecdotes; and does so from a perspective and voice that wil resonate with first-gen students of immigrant parents historically marginalized from institutions of higher education and the graduate school experience.