Navigating Culture and Family in Post-Secondary Education as Nigerian American College Students

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine how Nigerian Americans and their families understand academic success, identity, and family influence. This research study aims to understand these three areas by examining the experiences of five Nigerian American undergraduate students and their respective families. The data for this study was collected through individual interviews, focus groups, and an artifact analysis. Through using the Multidimensional Model of Racial Identity framework, findings demonstrated the importance of balancing identities, community, legacy, and shifts in generational mindsets. The findings in this dissertation offer larger discussions related to differences within the Nigerian community, the impact of siblings, preconceived notions about prestige and elitism, and generational status. Additionally, this dissertation identifies areas where the Multidimensional Model of Racial Identity framework could be applied to ethnicity. The significance of the study centers on the importance of broadening the monolith of not only Blackness but Nigerian identity in ways to better support students and their families as we think about academic success and policies within higher education.