The Role of La Familia on Mexican American Men’s College Persistence Intentions

Mexican American men lag behind academically. To that end, this study examined the mediating role of parental encouragement in the relation between familismo and college persistence intentions among 186 Mexican American college men. The mediation analysis suggested that parental encouragement fully, positively, and significantly mediated the relation between familismo and college persistence intentions for this sample of Mexican American college men. Furthermore, parental encouragement explained 53% of the variance in the indirect relation between familismo and college persistence intentions. We also asked two open-ended questions about participants’ college persistence and potential barriers to college persistence. Three dimensions of academic supports (i.e., attitudinal, instrumental, and social support factors) and four dimensions of potential barriers (i.e., struggles, unexpected events, family, and nothing) emerged. Research and practice implications of the study’s findings are delineated.