COVID-19, Racial Injustice, and Latinx Student Wellbeing in the USA: Fostering Resilience During Chronic Stress

COVID 19 affected students worldwide, causing disruptions to higher education as we know it. First generation and under-represented students were particularly impacted. U.S. Latinx, first-generation students experienced educational disparities pre-pandemic, due to language barriers, racism/discrimination, lack of sense of belonging, and institutional climate. During the pandemic, they faced added challenges of working from home in environments where it was hard to obtain privacy or time for classwork, Internet access and sufficient bandwidth, and motivation to attend classes. The U.S.A. is also in a time of national, racial injustice which directly affects many Latinx students. Extant literature shows that meaning-making, resilience and cultural values can help in overcoming adversities. This chapter summarizes the barriers and needs of first generation Latinx students, as well as findings on role of meaning making and cultural values in fostering resilience. A call for future research is outlined.