Latina high school students’ experience of racialized school climates

This study examines how racialized school climates shape the academic engagement of Latinx/a students in urban high schools in Northern California. Grounded in Latinx Critical Theory (LatCrit), the analysis draws on in-depth interviews with seven self-identified Latinx/a students to explore how institutional practices and everyday interactions influence their educational trajectories. Participants described encountering low academic expectations, exclusion from advanced coursework, and limited institutional support, particularly for newcomer immigrant students from Central America. These structural barriers contributed to feelings of marginalization and diminished confidence. At the same time, students identified sources of empowerment, notably in supportive relationships with Latinx educators and mentors that affirmed their identities and intellectual potential. The findings extend LatCrit scholarship by illuminating how systemic constraints and relational practices influence academic engagement and students’ sense of belonging.