Whiteness, marginalization, and exclusion: An analysis of Tongan students’ experiences in U.S. institutions of higher education

ABSTRACT

Although approximately one-third of adults in the United States hold a bachelor’s degree or higher , these statistics fail to account for the vast discrepancies across racial and ethnic groups. For instance, Tongan students are among the least likely to earn a bachelor’s degree of all major ethnic groups in the United States. Despite entering colleges and universities in high numbers, Tongan students are disproportionality dropping out before earning a degree. As such, this study aimed to uncover how communicative practices within (and around) institutions of higher education marginalize Tongan students and hinder their degree attainment, with a particular focus on the communicative power of whiteness. This study utilized in-depth interviewing and grounded theory analysis. Findings revealed that the discourse of whiteness, and the exclusionary communicative practices that reinforce this discourse, foster a sense of un-belonging for Tongan students in institutions of higher education, which hinders their academic success.

KEYWORDS:

• Tongan
• whiteness
• discourse
• higher education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Authorship order was determined based on the expertise and relative scholarly contribution of the collaborators and all authors participated in the authorship decision-making process. Authorship order was mutually agreed upon early in the research process, and the Tongan author played a central role in the authorship decision-making. This decision-making process aligns with guidance on the ethics of authorship for collaborative projects (e.g., Fine & Kurdek, 1993; Netting & Nichols-Casebolt, 1997; Phillippi et al., 2018). In the interest of transparency, we have detailed the collaborative process that informed our authorship decision-making here: This article is a product of a larger study from which multiple papers have been produced. Early in the research process, multiple lines of inquiry were collaboratively identified by the researchers. Each collaborator took the lead on a different paper based on their scholarly expertise. The division of labor and authorship order were mutually agreed upon by all authors, with the Tongan author being first or second author on each of the three papers. Importantly, throughout the research process, all authors took care in the process of reflexivity and holding each other accountable. The white authors listened to understand the meanings from a Tongan perspective, and the Tongan author was given space to challenge, critique, and call out whiteness at every stage of the research process.

2 All names used are pseudonyms

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Bobbi J. Van Gilder

Bobbi J. Van Gilder (Ph.D., University of Oklahoma) is an Assistant Professor of Global and Cultural Communication in the Department of Communication, Journalism, and Media at Suffolk University.

Aulola Amacher

Aulola Amacher (M.A., American University) is the Assistant Director for Student Leadership in the Thayne Center for Student Life, Leadership & Community Engagement at Salt Lake Community College.

Michael K. Ault

Michael K. Ault (Ph.D., University of Oklahoma) is an Associate Professor of Organizational Communication in the Department of Communication of Weber State University.