Constructing a Monolith - State Policy, Institutional DEI Plans, and the Flattening of Latinx Identity at Hispanic-Serving Institutions

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Adam

The article examines how institution-level diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) plans, developed in response to state-level DEI policies in Florida, California, and New York, shape narratives of intersectional diversity and a racialized Latinx identity at Hispanic-serving community colleges. Using critical discourse analysis informed by critical race theory and LatCrit, the study links state policy, implementation guidance, and institutional discourse. It also highlights limited attention to Latinx students’ racial composition and constrained framing of HSI status, showing how implementation can advance or erase intersectionality.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Constructing a Monolith: Research Focus

Linkage between state DEI policy and institutional DEI plans

Discourse shaping of intersectional diversity and Latinx identity

Gaps: racial composition and HSI status framing

Implications for advancing or erasing intersectionality

AERA Open January-December 2021, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 1–16 DOI: 10. 1177/23328584211063872 Article reuse guidelines: [sagepub.com/journals-permissions](sagepub.com/journals-permissions)[ ](sagepub.com/journals-permissions)© The Author(s) 2021. [https://journals.sagepub.com/home/ero](https://journals.sagepub.com/home/ero) Constructing a Monolith: State Policy, Institutional DEI Plans, and the Flattening of Latinx Identity at Hispanic-Serving Institutions Ishara Casellas Connors Texas A&M University As racialized institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions educate large portions of racially minoritized students within organizational and policy structures that advance Whiteness. This research considers how the institution-level diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) plans, produced in response to state-level DEI policies in Florida, California, and New York, construct narratives of intersectional diversity and a racialized Latinx identity at Hispanic-serving community colleges (HSCCs). Engaging critical discourse analysis, drawing together critical race theory and LatCrit, the analysis expands the consideration of DEI policy implementation at HSCCs. The findings illustrate the interconnectedness of state-level policy, policy implementation guidance, and institution-level discourse related to defining intersectional diversity and demographic data. Furthermore, it captures a lack of attention to racial composition among Latinx students and the limited characterization of HSI status. This study highlights how the implementation of state-level DEI policies can advance or erase the considerations of intersectionality among Latinx students. Keywords: racial equity, Latinx, Hispanic-serving institutions, diversity, equity, and inclusion policy, critical race theory, LatCrit AdvAncing diversity is a central element of the discourse of U.S. higher education. Intertwined with histories of affirmative action, legal precedents, and the broader political landscape, public higher education has come to take up conversations around diversity in distinct ways to advance specific notions of diversity. Select state contexts have developed state or system-level diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies as a mechanism to drive institutional behavior. Such policies date back to the 1980s and 1990s, as in Florida and California, developed in response to affirmative action and concerns regarding racial inequity (Annual Equity Update Florida Educational Act Report, n.d.; Guichard, 1992). In recent years, states have seen a renewed focus on state-level DEI policies, such as Oregon HB 2864 established in 2017 and the SUNY DEI Policy established in 2015 (HB 2864, 2017; SUNY Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy, 2015). These state-level policies all require the preparation of institution-level DEI reports. State-level DEI policies and resulting institution-level DEI reports thus become sites where institutional thoughts on diversity and racial equity are articulated. A critical review of institutionlevel DEI plans, situated within the state-level DEI policy context, can serve to elucidate their actual meaning and focus on advancing racial equity (Ching et al., 2018) . The discourse of racial equity constructed through institution-level DEI plans is particularly relevant for the increasing number of Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) . The establishment of the HSI designation represented an area of interest convergence among the Latinx HEI advocates who had been lobbying for educational equity for decades (Valdez, 2015); calling attention to the growing Latinx community coupled with low Latinx participation in higher education, and national interests regarding the underfunding of institutions serving Latinx students (Santiago, 2012) . Thus the 1992 federal legislation constructed the HSI designation based on theories of critical mass—the belief that once a group attains a particular proportion, their presence would shape org

FAQs

How do state-level DEI policies influence institution-level DEI plans at Hispanic-serving community colleges?

The study finds that institutional DEI plans are produced in response to state-level DEI policies and that these policies become sites where narratives of diversity and racial equity are articulated.

What analytical approach does the study use?

It uses critical discourse analysis, drawing together critical race theory and LatCrit, to examine DEI policy implementation and institutional discourse at HSCCs.

What limitations does the research identify in how HSI-related DEI narratives are constructed?

It highlights a lack of attention to Latinx students’ racial composition and limited characterization of HSI status, which affects how intersectionality is considered.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Adam