ABSTRACT

This article examines the effects of language development among Hispanic women/Latinas and how such learning is shaped by bicultural and linguistic practices while navigating institutions of higher education. This qualitative, phenomenological study is part of a larger study designed to gather the perceptions of 25 Hispanic women/Latinas about their opportunities for leadership. The results of the study revealed the importance of language to their personal identity influenced by grounded theory – both their native language, Spanish, as their acquired English language and how likely it is to engage within community-based activities due to their ability to develop liaisons with various multilingual communities.