Centering Students' Voices: Social and Emotional Competencies and Culture Among Immigrant, Minoritized Youth

Despite the current socio-political climate within the U.S., racially and ethnically minoritized youth are persevering through the use of Social Emotional Competencies (SEC) in their academic performances and relationships. The current study examines high school students’ definitions of Social Emotional Competencies in their own words, as well as the meaning of culture in their lives. The teens were asked open-ended questions where they defined SECs as well as described their cultural experiences. Seven general themes emerged that reflected academic, emotional, and cultural factors. These results are discussed in the context of the transformative Social Emotional Learning framework.