This research project aimed to examine the psychosociocultural factors that contribute to well-being among Latina LGBT undergraduate students. Specifically, it explored the psychological, social, and cultural experiences of 7 bisexual Latina students at a university. Preliminary findings identified three main themes: peer support was important for feeling normal; students developed self-confidence through navigating sexuality with family and educating them; and finding different roles for diverse friend groups. The purpose was to understand how these students balance traditional Latina values with their personal lifestyles using a holistic framework.

1. ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND
The Psychosociocultural framework examines students as a “whole person” within the context of a university
environment from a psychological, social and cultural perspective. Its interrelated dimensions provide a
holistic framework for understanding student processes (Gloria & Rodriguez, 2000)
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK & RESEARCH QUESTION
PARTICIPANTS [N=7]
PRELIMINARY THEMES & ILLUSTRATIVE STATEMENTS
DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS
LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH
Literature has examined LGBTQ+ undergraduate educational experiences but limited work explores the
intersectionality of their identities and how multiple factors impact their well-being. A triple minority,
LGBTQ+ Latina undergraduates report unique challenges and processes that merit further reexamination.
Given such, this research project aimed to better understand the psychosociocultural (PSC) factors that
contribute to LGBT Latinas’ well-being in higher education. Specifically, undergraduate female students who
self-identified as- both- Latina and also with the LGBTQ+ spectrum were interviewed. A total of 15 LGBTQ+
Latina students participated in the study. Using the PSC framework, the project explored social support from
peers, family values, coping mechanisms, and the university environment. Data was analyzed through a
contrast and comparison approach while creating matrices and implementing the enumeration process for
validity. Preliminary results shed light in the role of psychological, social, and cultural factors that impact bi-
sexual Latina well-being processes. Preliminary findings of 7 upper-division Bisexual Latina students suggest
three main themes in the data: peer support, growth in self-confidence, and working with family to help
them better understand sexuality. Findings will guide the field of psychology in serving Latina bisexual
students. Moreover, directives for future research and programming are suggested.
The purpose of this research project was to examine how Latina
LGBT students navigate traditional Latina/o values, beliefs, and
practices in the context of their personal lifestyles. Using the
PSC framework, the research considered the psychological,
social, and cultural factors that impact the well being of
Latina/o LGBT college undergraduate students.
METHODOLOGY
LITERATURE REVIEW
Recruitment
 Snowball sampling
 Social Media (Facebook)
 Criteria: 1) UCI student, 2) over
18years old, 3) LGBTQ+ spectrum
identity and 4) Latina/o Identity
Procedures
 Demographic Sheet
 30-45 minutes semi-structured,
face to face, and audio-
recorded interviews
 $10 cash compensation
Data Analysis
 Data analyzed using theory
 Matrices and enumeration
 Emergent Themes
 Peer Validation
 An estimated 4 % of Latina/o community, identifies as LGBT
but college education is only reported by 2.8% of that
subgroup (Gates & Newport, 2012).
 In the LGBT community, bisexuals are the greater majority
with even more females identifying as Bisexuals (Pew
Research Center, 2013).
 Latina/os enrolled in college has been growing since 2009
and reached a new high in 2012, making up 19% of all
college students aged 18-24 (Lopez & Fry, 2013)
 Among the Latina/o college student population, there is
however a 13% sex gap in favor of female college
enrollment (Lopez & Gonzalez-Barrera, 2014).
 LGBT Latina undergraduates, however, continue to be an
invisible group on higher education. Specifically, Bisexual
Latina often report balancing culture, traditionality, and life
style (Espin, 1987).
PROBLEM STATEMENT
What are the psychosociocultural factors that contribute to
Latina Bisexuals’ well-being?
P What are the psychological factors (coping and
confidence) that contribute to Latina Bisexuals’ well-
being?
S What are the social factors (family, peer, and faculty
support) that contribute to Latina Bisexuals’ well-
being?
C What are the cultural factors (university environment
and cultural congruity) that contribute to Latina
Bisexuals’ well-being?
1. LGBT students continue to report discrimination,
microagressions, and disconnection on college campuses
2. Latina college students still experience marginalization,
isolation, and alienation –and this is based on their identity
as an ethnic minority alone.
3. Latina LGBT undergraduates may be further impacted by
cultural isolation and cultural disapproval.
4. Cultural and environmental experiences encountered by
bisexual Latina undergraduates create distress impacting
their well-being.
Latina Bisexual Students’ Well-Being
Susan J. Rodriguez
(Student Researcher)
Age: 21-24
Class Standing:
 7 Seniors
Transfer Status:
 3 transfers
GPA: 2.8 -3.7
Mean: 3.4
Schools Represented:
 Social Sciences
 Social Ecology
 Business
 Bio. Sciences
 Humanities
 Arts
Degree Aspirations
 2 Master’s
 1 JD
 4 Ph.D.
1st in family US born
 2 No one
 4 Themselves or
their siblings
 1 Their parents
Relationship status
 3 Single
 3 With man
 1 With woman
Religious Affiliation:
 4 Nothing in particular
 3 Catholic ( 2 slightly
affiliated, 1 strongly
affiliated)
Aware of Sexuality:
 3 Elementary
 2 Middle-School
 2 College
Comfortable with own
sexuality:
 2 Strongly Agree
 3 Agree
 2 Slightly Agree
Groups “out” to:
 1 Close friends only
 2 Most or all friends
 2 Close friends and
close family only
 2 Close family, most or
all friends, and
coworkers
Feel parents accept (or
would accept) their
sexuality:
 1 Slightly Agree
 2 Disagree
 2 Slightly Disagree
 2 Strongly Disagree
IRB: HS# 2014-1422
Limitations
 Participants recruited from only one University; thus,
results cannot be generalized to reflect the experiences
of all Latina Bisexual undergraduate college students
 A majority of recruitment occurred through social media
 Participants often separated their Latina and Bisexual
identities when responding to certain questions
 When asked if they felt they had an advocate at the
University, all participants reported no
 When asked if there were any educational challenges,
all participants also reported no having any
 Study reflects tremendous diversity of experiences
even within one identity of the LGBTQ+ spectrum (i.e.
when dating a woman versus when dating a man)
PRELIMINARY THEMES & ILLUSTRATIVE STATEMENTS
Social
Peer support by helping feel “normal”
• “I would say my friends are my support system, because whenever I want to talk to someone about it
they are usually the ones to listen to me and give me advice, and I can tell that when they do actually
listen to me they are not judgmental about it, and they see it as something normal, they don’t, they
don’t see it as weird or anything like that” –#1, Summer ‘14
• “[a student org.] is the big support system I have because I can be there with my girlfriend, it's not weird
and we don’t get stared at,… so it seems like they see it as normal” - #5, Spring ‘15
Different groups of friends fulfill different roles
• “I have like different kind of friends because it’s like my straight friends don’t want to go to a gay club
kind of thing, you know?” – # 2, summer ‘14
• “I do like academics, then I do social, and then I do like at home…my friends for school, they are here
for like support for classes and academics…we [don’t] go out past school to hang out like at LGBT bars,
we don’t hang out like that but the roles that some of my friends play outside of school is stronger“- # 3
Younger Sibling Support
• “He's two years younger so that part was surprising, that he's very open about it, more like he just
doesn’t care, like you can do whatever you want, like he'll love me either way, I've always felt that with
my brother. - #5
• “He didn’t care, not in a negative way, I felt like he did care about me and didn’t care if I was with a guy
or a girl so that was a cool thing about him ‘cause I mean, he is younger, he understands what is going
on” - # 3
Psychology
Coping through educating family about sexuality
• “If I hear something and I know it‘s wrong I will tell them something…I have told them before that there’s
been studies that say hormones aren’t going to change your sexuality and my dad believes that, if a gay
couple adopts a child that the child will come out being gay as well but I’ve told him that that’s not true
because there have been couples that, have had kids and the kids come out straight”- # 1, summer ’14
• “She's also very confused about the transgender thing, which I've like tried to explain to her too …she still
has trouble kind of wrapping her head about all the issues and about gender and sexuality and, it's kind of
hard, but she's learning a little more here and there.”-#5, Spring ‘15
Coping through avoiding conflict
• “In her mind she was just a friend so the way I made peace with her was just, I just didn’t kiss her like in
front of like my mom, or I didn’t like tell my cousins, they didn’t really know just so I wouldn’t make my
mom upset, so I would just not really do anything about it”- #3, Fall ’14
• “We don’t really talk about it a lot because I know what their standpoint and after a while, it just gets
really annoying to hear it so it’s one of those things we don’t really talk about as a family so that’s pretty
helpful in that sense” - #7, Spring ‘15
Disclosing to parents only if necessary
• “Right now because I’m not in a relationship, there is not really a need for them to know. I’m like trying to
avoid that heartbreak but I have thought about if maybe later on I am in a relationship, they—they are
going to have to know” – # 4, Spring ‘15
• ‘If it comes down to the point where I was seriously dating a woman and I saw it going somewhere, that’s
probably when I would tell them. If not, I just don’t see the point of going through the struggle…and
having that fight with them unless I actually am dating a woman” – #7
• “Now that I have a girlfriend and it’s something serious, she is facing it more and we talk about it a little
more”- #5
Cultural
Parents religious and/or sexuality beliefs is a challenge
• “The fact that my family is very religious then, you know if I said that, then…they wouldn’t be accepting
of it and two, you know I’d be like the Black sheep of the family” – # 2, Summer ‘14
• “my parents don’t know , [they] are very religious, they actually run a prayer group at their church. I
haven’t told them just because I don’t think they’ll be very accepting of it”- #6, Spring ‘15
Lack of involvement in LGBT community on campus
• “The LGBT center is very, I don’t know, people there- there’s just-it’s not a good feeling there, is just a
bunch of like kids trying to be radical” – #2, Summer 2014
• “I don’t participate because I feel like I’m okay, I like who I am so I don’t feel like I need to, I don’t need
help”- # 3, Winter 2015
• “I mean I don’t mind going [to LGBT center] and I have thought maybe I should go, but I don’t see like
any use specifically, like I don’t see what I can get from it” – #4, Winter 2015
Incongruity felt in regards to Latina/o LGBT community
• “Comparing it to like how Mesa Unida does certain events for Latinos to come out, something like that
hasn’t really happen for the LBGT Latinos to come together”- # 5, Winter ‘15
• “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen my two identities overlap” -# 7, Spring ‘15
• “I don’t know that many, Latinas who are actually part of the community, just maybe 1 or 2…it’s kind of
hard to find other people who are also-or it’s hard to tell really, who might be part of the community or
not” –# 1, summer ’14
Future Research
 Future research should seek to better understand
Latina/os’ other identities within the LGBTQ+ spectrum
that are even more heavily overlooked
 Expand the research pool to multiple universities
Jeanett Castellanos, Ph.D.
(Faculty Advisor)
For more information, please contact Susan J. Rodriguez at susanjr@uci.edu
PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIAL CULTURAL
One common coping response
Latina undergraduate students
report is taking a planned and
positive action. This problem-
focused response to manage a
situation was also the strongest
predictor of well-being and was
significantly correlated to cultural
congruity (Gloria, Castellanos, &
Orozco, 2005)
LGBT Latina/o students report
strategically hiding their sexuality
from family, peers, and other
important individuals in their
lives. (Pena-Talamante, 2013).
An important factor that
influences Latina sexualities is the
lack of open communication
surrounding these issues in the
home (Acosta, 2008).
For Latinas Lesbians, the role of
peers appear to be more
prominent with samples reporting
mostly being “out” to friends and
also reporting preferences in
socializing with those aware of
their lesbian identity (Espin, 1993)
For Latina college students in general,
perception of the university
environment as culturally-relevant,
welcoming, and supportive has been
linked to the institution’s access to
other Latina/o students and faculty
(Cervantez, 1988; Fiske, 1988; Gloria, 1997).
Latina/o LGBT students report a lack
of support via campus resources such
as the LGBTQ center with testimonies
centered on the idea that the centers’
clique-based atmospheres tended to
push students away (Pena-Talamantes,
2013).
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
 Universities can better serve Latina LGBT
students by educating them on how to have
conversations about sexuality with family
 Gay-Straight Alliances at Universities may
positively contribute to students ’ well-being
 Further LGBT ethnic-inclusive efforts need
implementation at 4-year universities