Between snakes and ladders: Trajectories of a group of Indigenous university students

Abstract

Indigenous students represent 1% of the enrollment in Mexican higher education. The exclusion they have been subjected to is a structural problem, in which factors external and internal to the educational system come together. In this paper, we analyzed the barriers and enablers faced by Indigenous university students. The research was based on collaborative ethnography, and, for the empirical work, we conducted in-depth interviews in a sample of Indigenous students from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). The students’ discourses highlight three kinds of barriers: economic, academic, and attitudinal.  All these barriers have different consequences, on both student learning and educational achievement as well as students’ chances of being included in the university. However, at the same time, students point out to the existence of support at the institutional level and from relatives, classmates, and teachers. We conclude that the circumstances experienced by Indigenous students are complex, due to several obstacles they have to overcome. For that reason, it is important to enhance institutional actions in order to identify Indigenous student needs and improve their educational conditions.