Navigating Inherited Barriers: First-Generation “Born Free” Students at a South African Historically Disadvantaged Institution: An Intersectional, Asset-Based Case Study With Implications for U.S. Student Affairs Practice

First-generation “Born Free” students, born after South Africa’s 1994 democratic transition, bring significant community cultural wealth yet face systemic barriers rooted in apartheid’s educational legacy at historically disadvantaged institutions. This qualitative case study analyzes focus group data from 25 first-year, first-generation students at the University of the Western Cape (2017). Drawing on community cultural wealth, intersectionality, and Social Learning Theory, we identify four themes: peer mentorship networks, multilingual translation strategies, cross-cultural navigation, and resilience amid financial barriers. Findings show that COVID-19 amplified inequities already embedded before the pandemic and offer U.S. student affairs practitioners a comparative lens for structural responses.