Latina Students and Their Comadre Relationships: Nature, Value, & Impact on College Retention and Graduation
Latinas/os are the largest racial/ethnic majority group in the USA. College completion rates among all racial groups, indicate a significant educational achievement gap which deserves immediate attention–e.g., Latinos, 15%; African Americans, 22%; Whites, 41%; and Asians, 63% (Pew Research Center 2016). Racial minority students attending Predominantly White Institutions (PWI) face additional challenges in successfully navigating the college experience. Typical models of retention are not fully applicable to the academic success of these racial minority groups; specifically, Latina/o college students benefit from having appropriate support systems (Robertson, Bravo, & Chaney, 2014). Yet, these support systems have not received the attention that they merit (Stanton-Salazar, & Dornbusch, 1995). The Comadre relationship, a deeply emotional and instrumental sister-like bond, is an alternative peer support mechanism that emerges in the face of limited academic and culturally sensitive institutional support.
Purpose: Our study documented the nature, purpose, and value of the Comadre relationship developed by Latina college female students attending a PWI. We advance that the Comadre relationship promotes academic resilience and it should be recognized as an important protective factor for the academic success of Latina/o students