Orientation to Latin* Whiteness: The Role of an HSI in Sustaining White Identity

Abstract: In recent years, scholars have connected questions of color, race, and racialization at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) to broader philosophical discussions that articulate the inextricability of whiteness and Latinidad. While others have further revealed contemporary aspirational whiteness among Latin*s, missing from this scholarly conversation is an understanding of how white racial identity becomes normalized for Latin*s and the role an HSI can play in sustaining this process. Through a phenomenological approach, specifically Ahmed’s orientation to whiteness , coupled with data from a qualitative study that explored the racial conceptions of Hispanic-identified students at an HSI, we consider the contours of an ‘orientation to Latin* whiteness.’ We also consider further the significance of locating this phenomenon within the particular and peculiar context of an HSI.