Rebeca Mireles-Rios
Biographic Data
| ID | 4088793 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Rebeca Mireles-Rios |
| GIVEN NAMES | Rebeca |
| FAMILY NAME | Mireles-Rios |
| SIGNATURE | MIRELES-RIOS R |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of California, Santa Barbara |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-3735-7674 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 23 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 46 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 23 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2010 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Framing an ethnic studies/feminist studies toolkit for STEM students
The following research is derived from a larger study funded by a grant in response to California State Legislature Assembly Bill AB 101 mandating a public high school Ethnic Studies graduation requirement. From 927 surveys administered in introductory Ethnic Studies and Feminist Studies courses at a public Research 1 University in Winter 2021, we analyzed 524 responses by participants who identify as STEM majors. Our analysis evaluated the learn…
Funds of Knowledge
Ethnic Racial Identity Development in a Dual Immersion School
This study explores the ethnic-racial identity (ERI) development of early adolescent Latinas in a Spanish-English dual immersion school setting. Employing a critical ethnographic approach grounded in Chicana feminist epistemology, this research utilizes Umaña-Taylor and Fine’s (2004) Model of Ethnic Identity Development among Adolescents as a theoretical framework. Data was collected through classroom observations, interviews and survey data. The…
“You Didn’t Go by Choice!”
As the Latinx student population grows in the United States, more public research-intensive institutions are becoming Hispanic-Serving Research Institutions (HSRIs). This exploratory qualitative study examines the experiences of Latinx students at an HSRI, particularly in STEM fields where they face underrepresentation and are pushed out. The objectives for this study were two-fold: (1) investigate the institutional factors contributing to Latinx…
Racial Micro-Affirmations
Through analysis of semi-structured interviews of 30 Latinx college students, we examined how Latinx students experience belonging, acceptance, and affirmations at a Hispanic-Serving Research Institution (HSRI) in California. Drawing from the theoretical perspectives of racial micro-affirmations, we uncovered two major themes: the importance of close friendships and the impact that ethnic studies courses have on ethnoracial identity development. …
Luchadoras Pensadoras
Many necessary developmental assets and competencies can be accrued through the participation of sport that aid in the holistic healthy development of adolescent girls; however, much research in this area has focused on adolescent girls as a monolithic group, disregarding the specific outcomes of sport for girls of color. Through analysis of semistructured interviews of 31 Latina high school wrestlers, we identified various developmental outcomes…
Advancing QuantCrit to Rethink the School-to-Prison Pipeline for Latinx and Black Youth
Latinx and Black youth are pushed out of school at a higher than average rate of 7.7% and 5.5%, respectively, compared to 4.1% of White youth. By “pushed out” we are referring to students who are labeled as “drop outs.” This language shift is important, as, “dropout” implies a choice made by students to leave school while “pushout” accounts for the various forces that lead to students leaving school. One factor that contributes to this alarming s…
Perceived Teacher Support and Communication in Strategizing Possible Selves
There is limited insight into how perceived teacher support and communication may be related to the development of adolescents’ strategies to achieve a hoped for and expected possible selves while avoiding their feared possible selves. This study explores the relationship between adolescents’ perceptions of their teachers’ support and communication and their possible selves. A total of 85 adolescents (Mage = 15.5 years) participated (45% White an…
Pushed Out for Missing School
Research: The goal of this study is to understand the experiences of Black and Latino former high school students who dropped out, or were pushed out, of a large urban school district in Southern California. Specifically, this paper examines the barriers students faced that contributed to them leaving high school and their journey afterward. Thirty-nine former high school students who “dropped out”, or were pushed out of school, 61.5% males (n = …
The Critical Role of Teacher Emotional Support for Latinx Students
Background/Context The relationship between perceived discrimination and students’ academic outcomes is well established, showing the negative effects of experiences of discrimination. Although much attention has focused on how to temper these effects for students, few studies have focused on the potential role that teachers can play in lessening the effects of discrimination on student outcomes. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study…
You Were Going to Go to College”
Using pláticas, the sharing of cultural teachings through intimate and informal conversations, this article analyzes our personal college choice processes as Chicanas by examining the impact of being raised by Chicano college-educated fathers. Drawing on two theoretical frameworks, college-conocimiento, a Latinx college choice conceptual framework, and critical raced-gendered epistemologies, we demonstrate how intimate and informal conversations …
Nature Versus Nurture
Sex Differences in Participation
What would your ideal graduate mentoring program look like
This study discusses how a diverse group of Latina/o undergraduate students perceive the ideal graduate-undergraduate mentoring program. Based on Latina/o undergraduate student voices from diverse majors and experiences, the results offer concrete solutions on how graduate student mentoring can play a pivotal role in increasing and enhancing Latina/o undergraduate students’ persistence at a research university. Major themes include graduate stude…
Rape and Dating
Goals
Networks of Encouragement
Using affiliation network data collected at a large high school, this study examined differences between who encourages Latina/o and White students to enroll in advanced courses. Previous research has shown a positive association between emotional support and academic achievement, and thus, this study shifts the focus from who informs students to who encourages them. This study revealed that on average, Latina/o and White students have different …
Latina immigrant mother–daughter communication about their body self-esteem and weight dissatisfaction
Cultural, Media, and Peer Influences on Body Beauty Perceptions of Mexican American Adolescent Girls
Social and cultural values are believed to play a role in the types of bodies that adolescent girls consider beautiful and desirable. In this article, the authors analyzed qualitative interviews from 27 Latina mid-adolescent girls (ages 14 to 16) regarding their perceptions of what body shapes and sizes are valued in Latino culture and European American culture, the nature of their conversations with friends about appearance, and whether boys and…
Latina daughters’ childbearing attitudes
Adolescent girls' and their mothers' expectations for their daughters' college attainment, mother-daughter communication about education, and daughters' early childbearing attitudes were examined in 146 U.S.-raised Latina girls (mean age = 14.4 years) and their mostly immigrant mothers. Through structural equation modeling, we tested in the present study a 3-path mediating model to identify mechanisms underlying the association between maternal e…
Latina Mothers’ and Daughters’ Expectations for Autonomy at Age 15 (La Quinceañera)
American children gain more autonomy as they progress through adolescence, however, autonomy-granting for Latina adolescent girls from immigrant families is a relatively unexplored question. In this study, we identified behaviors that Mexican mothers and their daughters deemed to be appropriate when they reach the age of La Quinceañera , a cultural rite of passage at age 15. Daughters hoped for rules regarding social activities to become less str…
El Sexo no es Malo”
In this study, we utilized observational methods to identify maternal values and concerns accompanying contraceptive use advice in Latina mother-daughter sexuality conversations. The sample included non-sexually active early adolescents around 12 years of age and their mostly Spanish-speaking Latina mothers. Videotaped conversations were coded for the prevalence of messages related to four sexual values (abstinence, delay sex until older, sex is …
Maternal and Teacher Interaction and Student Engagement in Math and Reading Among Mexican American Girls From a Rural Community
In this study, 69 Mexican American elementary school girls in Grades 3 through 6 (age 8-13 years) from an agricultural community were interviewed regarding their perceptions of the frequency of communication with their mothers about education and their interaction with their teachers. The authors examined how these variables were associated with the girls’ grades in math and reading and the extent to which they liked these academic subjects. Incr…
Cultural, Media, and Peer Influences on Body Beauty Perceptions of Mexican American Adolescent Girls
Social and cultural values are believed to play a role in the types of bodies that adolescent girls consider beautiful and desirable. In this article, the authors analyzed qualitative interviews from 27 Latina mid-adolescent girls (ages 14 to 16) regarding their perceptions of what body shapes and sizes are valued in Latino culture and European American culture, the nature of their conversations with friends about appearance, and whether boys and…
El Sexo no es Malo”
In this study, we utilized observational methods to identify maternal values and concerns accompanying contraceptive use advice in Latina mother-daughter sexuality conversations. The sample included non-sexually active early adolescents around 12 years of age and their mostly Spanish-speaking Latina mothers. Videotaped conversations were coded for the prevalence of messages related to four sexual values (abstinence, delay sex until older, sex is …
Networks of Encouragement
Using affiliation network data collected at a large high school, this study examined differences between who encourages Latina/o and White students to enroll in advanced courses. Previous research has shown a positive association between emotional support and academic achievement, and thus, this study shifts the focus from who informs students to who encourages them. This study revealed that on average, Latina/o and White students have different …
Latina Mothers’ and Daughters’ Expectations for Autonomy at Age 15 (La Quinceañera)
American children gain more autonomy as they progress through adolescence, however, autonomy-granting for Latina adolescent girls from immigrant families is a relatively unexplored question. In this study, we identified behaviors that Mexican mothers and their daughters deemed to be appropriate when they reach the age of La Quinceañera , a cultural rite of passage at age 15. Daughters hoped for rules regarding social activities to become less str…
You Were Going to Go to College”
Using pláticas, the sharing of cultural teachings through intimate and informal conversations, this article analyzes our personal college choice processes as Chicanas by examining the impact of being raised by Chicano college-educated fathers. Drawing on two theoretical frameworks, college-conocimiento, a Latinx college choice conceptual framework, and critical raced-gendered epistemologies, we demonstrate how intimate and informal conversations …
Latina immigrant mother–daughter communication about their body self-esteem and weight dissatisfaction
Maternal and Teacher Interaction and Student Engagement in Math and Reading Among Mexican American Girls From a Rural Community
In this study, 69 Mexican American elementary school girls in Grades 3 through 6 (age 8-13 years) from an agricultural community were interviewed regarding their perceptions of the frequency of communication with their mothers about education and their interaction with their teachers. The authors examined how these variables were associated with the girls’ grades in math and reading and the extent to which they liked these academic subjects. Incr…
Latina daughters’ childbearing attitudes
Adolescent girls' and their mothers' expectations for their daughters' college attainment, mother-daughter communication about education, and daughters' early childbearing attitudes were examined in 146 U.S.-raised Latina girls (mean age = 14.4 years) and their mostly immigrant mothers. Through structural equation modeling, we tested in the present study a 3-path mediating model to identify mechanisms underlying the association between maternal e…
Luchadoras Pensadoras
Many necessary developmental assets and competencies can be accrued through the participation of sport that aid in the holistic healthy development of adolescent girls; however, much research in this area has focused on adolescent girls as a monolithic group, disregarding the specific outcomes of sport for girls of color. Through analysis of semistructured interviews of 31 Latina high school wrestlers, we identified various developmental outcomes…
What would your ideal graduate mentoring program look like
This study discusses how a diverse group of Latina/o undergraduate students perceive the ideal graduate-undergraduate mentoring program. Based on Latina/o undergraduate student voices from diverse majors and experiences, the results offer concrete solutions on how graduate student mentoring can play a pivotal role in increasing and enhancing Latina/o undergraduate students’ persistence at a research university. Major themes include graduate stude…
El Sexo no es Malo”
In this study, we utilized observational methods to identify maternal values and concerns accompanying contraceptive use advice in Latina mother-daughter sexuality conversations. The sample included non-sexually active early adolescents around 12 years of age and their mostly Spanish-speaking Latina mothers. Videotaped conversations were coded for the prevalence of messages related to four sexual values (abstinence, delay sex until older, sex is …
Maternal and Teacher Interaction and Student Engagement in Math and Reading Among Mexican American Girls From a Rural Community
In this study, 69 Mexican American elementary school girls in Grades 3 through 6 (age 8-13 years) from an agricultural community were interviewed regarding their perceptions of the frequency of communication with their mothers about education and their interaction with their teachers. The authors examined how these variables were associated with the girls’ grades in math and reading and the extent to which they liked these academic subjects. Incr…
Latina Mothers’ and Daughters’ Expectations for Autonomy at Age 15 (La Quinceañera)
American children gain more autonomy as they progress through adolescence, however, autonomy-granting for Latina adolescent girls from immigrant families is a relatively unexplored question. In this study, we identified behaviors that Mexican mothers and their daughters deemed to be appropriate when they reach the age of La Quinceañera , a cultural rite of passage at age 15. Daughters hoped for rules regarding social activities to become less str…
Latina daughters’ childbearing attitudes
Adolescent girls' and their mothers' expectations for their daughters' college attainment, mother-daughter communication about education, and daughters' early childbearing attitudes were examined in 146 U.S.-raised Latina girls (mean age = 14.4 years) and their mostly immigrant mothers. Through structural equation modeling, we tested in the present study a 3-path mediating model to identify mechanisms underlying the association between maternal e…
Cultural, Media, and Peer Influences on Body Beauty Perceptions of Mexican American Adolescent Girls
Social and cultural values are believed to play a role in the types of bodies that adolescent girls consider beautiful and desirable. In this article, the authors analyzed qualitative interviews from 27 Latina mid-adolescent girls (ages 14 to 16) regarding their perceptions of what body shapes and sizes are valued in Latino culture and European American culture, the nature of their conversations with friends about appearance, and whether boys and…
Networks of Encouragement
Using affiliation network data collected at a large high school, this study examined differences between who encourages Latina/o and White students to enroll in advanced courses. Previous research has shown a positive association between emotional support and academic achievement, and thus, this study shifts the focus from who informs students to who encourages them. This study revealed that on average, Latina/o and White students have different …
Latina immigrant mother–daughter communication about their body self-esteem and weight dissatisfaction
Rape and Dating
Goals
What would your ideal graduate mentoring program look like
This study discusses how a diverse group of Latina/o undergraduate students perceive the ideal graduate-undergraduate mentoring program. Based on Latina/o undergraduate student voices from diverse majors and experiences, the results offer concrete solutions on how graduate student mentoring can play a pivotal role in increasing and enhancing Latina/o undergraduate students’ persistence at a research university. Major themes include graduate stude…
Nature Versus Nurture
Sex Differences in Participation
Perceived Teacher Support and Communication in Strategizing Possible Selves
There is limited insight into how perceived teacher support and communication may be related to the development of adolescents’ strategies to achieve a hoped for and expected possible selves while avoiding their feared possible selves. This study explores the relationship between adolescents’ perceptions of their teachers’ support and communication and their possible selves. A total of 85 adolescents (Mage = 15.5 years) participated (45% White an…
Pushed Out for Missing School
Research: The goal of this study is to understand the experiences of Black and Latino former high school students who dropped out, or were pushed out, of a large urban school district in Southern California. Specifically, this paper examines the barriers students faced that contributed to them leaving high school and their journey afterward. Thirty-nine former high school students who “dropped out”, or were pushed out of school, 61.5% males (n = …
The Critical Role of Teacher Emotional Support for Latinx Students
Background/Context The relationship between perceived discrimination and students’ academic outcomes is well established, showing the negative effects of experiences of discrimination. Although much attention has focused on how to temper these effects for students, few studies have focused on the potential role that teachers can play in lessening the effects of discrimination on student outcomes. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study…
You Were Going to Go to College”
Using pláticas, the sharing of cultural teachings through intimate and informal conversations, this article analyzes our personal college choice processes as Chicanas by examining the impact of being raised by Chicano college-educated fathers. Drawing on two theoretical frameworks, college-conocimiento, a Latinx college choice conceptual framework, and critical raced-gendered epistemologies, we demonstrate how intimate and informal conversations …
Advancing QuantCrit to Rethink the School-to-Prison Pipeline for Latinx and Black Youth
Latinx and Black youth are pushed out of school at a higher than average rate of 7.7% and 5.5%, respectively, compared to 4.1% of White youth. By “pushed out” we are referring to students who are labeled as “drop outs.” This language shift is important, as, “dropout” implies a choice made by students to leave school while “pushout” accounts for the various forces that lead to students leaving school. One factor that contributes to this alarming s…
Luchadoras Pensadoras
Many necessary developmental assets and competencies can be accrued through the participation of sport that aid in the holistic healthy development of adolescent girls; however, much research in this area has focused on adolescent girls as a monolithic group, disregarding the specific outcomes of sport for girls of color. Through analysis of semistructured interviews of 31 Latina high school wrestlers, we identified various developmental outcomes…
“You Didn’t Go by Choice!”
As the Latinx student population grows in the United States, more public research-intensive institutions are becoming Hispanic-Serving Research Institutions (HSRIs). This exploratory qualitative study examines the experiences of Latinx students at an HSRI, particularly in STEM fields where they face underrepresentation and are pushed out. The objectives for this study were two-fold: (1) investigate the institutional factors contributing to Latinx…
Racial Micro-Affirmations
Through analysis of semi-structured interviews of 30 Latinx college students, we examined how Latinx students experience belonging, acceptance, and affirmations at a Hispanic-Serving Research Institution (HSRI) in California. Drawing from the theoretical perspectives of racial micro-affirmations, we uncovered two major themes: the importance of close friendships and the impact that ethnic studies courses have on ethnoracial identity development. …
Funds of Knowledge
Ethnic Racial Identity Development in a Dual Immersion School
This study explores the ethnic-racial identity (ERI) development of early adolescent Latinas in a Spanish-English dual immersion school setting. Employing a critical ethnographic approach grounded in Chicana feminist epistemology, this research utilizes Umaña-Taylor and Fine’s (2004) Model of Ethnic Identity Development among Adolescents as a theoretical framework. Data was collected through classroom observations, interviews and survey data. The…
Framing an ethnic studies/feminist studies toolkit for STEM students
The following research is derived from a larger study funded by a grant in response to California State Legislature Assembly Bill AB 101 mandating a public high school Ethnic Studies graduation requirement. From 927 surveys administered in introductory Ethnic Studies and Feminist Studies courses at a public Research 1 University in Winter 2021, we analyzed 524 responses by participants who identify as STEM majors. Our analysis evaluated the learn…
Psychology (20 works) · Social Psychology (11 works) · Sociology (10 works) · Developmental psychology (9 works) · Political science (8 works) · Social Psychology (8 works) · Gender Studies (7 works) · Critical Race Theory in Education (6 works) · Early Childhood Education and Development (6 works) · Gender Studies (6 works)