The Lived Experience of Military Brats of Color In
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ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation: THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME: THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF MILITARY BRATS OF COLOR IN COLLEGE Alicia Marie Peralta, Doctor of Philosophy, 2019 Dissertation directed by: Professor Francine H. Hultgren Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership Military children of color live in various cultural contexts, often outside of mainstream U.S. society, leading to questions about their experiences as young people of color in college settings. To this end, this dissertation asks: What is the lived experience of military brats of color in college? This dissertation explores the experiences of seven military children of color in college settings as they navigate leaving their unique military context, encounter identities they did not know they had, and individuate from their families and the military context. The phenomenological questioning of identity coupled with conceptions of home and belonging shine a light on the bittersweet experience of the military brats of color feeling like strangers in their own country. These experiences are uncovered using Gadamerian (1975/2004) horizons and Heidegger’s dasein (1927/2008b) in addition to O’Donohue’s (1997, 1998) philosophical writings on belonging and home. The thematizing process brought forth experiences of attempting to forge an identity in the midst of preconceived ideas about who and what you should be as a person. The process of forging identity includes the transition from the military community to college; a settling into college; and a choosing of identity. Pedagogical insights include a critique of identity and how it is constructed, specifically because military children of color are never of a place, but move with and in spaces. I also consider concepts of home, and how higher education practitioners can work with military students of color while respecting their lived experience. THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME: THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF MILITARY BRATS OF COLOR IN COLLEGE by Alicia M. Peralta Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate of Philosophy 2019 Advisory Committee: Professor Francine Hultgren, Chair Professor Sharon Fries-Britt, Advisor Professor Michelle Espino Professor Meredith Kleykamp Professor Kimberly Griffin © by Alicia M. Peralta 2019 i Disclaimer The thesis or dissertation document that follows has had referenced material removed in respect for the owner's copyright. A complete version of this document, which includes said referenced material, resides in the University of Maryland, College Park's library collection. ii Dedication For John, Helen, and James For my father Lieutenant Colonel (Ret) David S. Peralta and my grandfather Colonel (Ret) Roberto Peralta For my Invisible Tribe For my Doubly Invisible Tribe, fellow military brats of color iii Acknowledgements For my Committee—Dr. Francine Hultgren, thank you for guiding me on this journey. You were my Virgil, directing my steps through the research and writing process. I am so grateful that you were with me, even in the hardest of times when I struggled. Dr. Sharon Fries-Britt, thank you for you unfailing support and confidence in my work. It was so many years ago that I showed up in your office with the Retaining Each Other article fresh in my mind, knowing you were a military brat of color in the academy! Dr. Michelle Espino, thank you for your kind words when I needed them the most. Your voice as another military brat of color was so important to me, especially asking hard questions about intersections of rank, race, and class! Dr. Meredith Kleykamp, thank you for stepping out of the military sociology realm to sit on my committee. Your expertise in military sociology has made my dissertation stronger! Dr. Kimberly Griffin, thank you for your direct and frank feedback and your curiosity about my topic. I am honored and grateful to have you on my committee given your extensive scholarship on students of color. For my dissertation participants: you were all so open, kind, and giving of yourselves. I hope I did you each some justice. For my UMD Family—Thank you to my Graduate Assistantships—Joey DeSanto Jones, Tiki Ayiku, Stephanie Gordon, and Nathan Victoria at NASPA. Thank you for the guidance and opportunity during my first years and your continued support For Dr. Tracy Chung and Abby Shantzis and all the staff members of the Bioengineering Department at UMD. It was such a privilege to work with you and with the Bioengineering students! Dr. Cabrera, thank you for giving me the opportunity to TA with you. Your college experience class is still one of my favorite classes ever, and I am so honored to work with such a talented teacher! Your pedagogical skill is unmatched. I am also grateful I got to publish with you. Your writing is so clean and so concise; it was such a privilege to work with you! Dr. Titus, thank you for teaching applied stats classes and for giving me a chance to learn from my mistakes! iv I am grateful to all my classmates who came before and after for all your support: Dr. Dora McAllister, Dr. Belinda Huang, Dr. Paulina Mejia Perez, Dr. Jennifer Johnson, Dr. Rebecca Villareal, Dr. Steve D. Mobley Jr., Dr. Pamela Hernandez, Kelly Cowdery, Jen Eliason, Dr. Nina Daoud, and Candice Staples, Jeanette Snider, and Kristin LaRiviere. Your success is my success! I am so privileged to have you as my colleagues! I also want to recognize my cohort-mate, Dr. Chrystal George Mwangi, whose practical approach to the world and unfailing support was appreciated more than she will ever realize. To my Harvard Graduate School of Education Family—Dr. Mandy Savitz-Romer, who suggested I apply to Maryland. And the PSP faculty who cheered me on during my application process. To the HGSE Admissions Office for the support and cozy office space! Chapters 4 and 5 would be less than without your support: Jourdan Hafen, Emily Mendes Sawyer, Margaret Okada-Scheck, Leah Belcher, Christine Lombardi, James Christensen, Laura Amrein, Ernald Furxhi, Youlim Yai, Julie Deland, Paola Munoz To my dear soon-to-be Dr. Tycie Coppett, I do not know if I can ever tell you how much you are appreciated. May you always claim your space! Also, for Helen Vendler, whose words I have always remembered: “You walked into my office, and I knew you could do anything.” To my Military family—especially Jessica Fry, William Oldham, Kristina Kerchief, and Amanda Hrubrik Gruenthal. You were there from the beginning! To my Family—My parents Jane and David Peralta, sister Teresa Tomlinson, and the revelations about the wonderful work of those who have come before me. Mom and Dad: I have no words. I love you! And you can call me Doctor. For my amazing chosen family: Captain (Ret) Robert Bornmann, Kris and Allan; Jenn, Beth, Karin, and all the Bornmann clan. Dr. Sergeant John Bornmann, may we always walk together: “wither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people” (Ruth 1:16: King James Version) Helen and James—Mommy finally finished her book! A special thank you to Nancy Schimmel, who kindly granted permission for use of Dr. Malvina Reynold’s song lyrics Little Boxes. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Dedication .................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements .................................................................................................... iii CHAPTER 1: WHAT MILITARY BRATS CARRY: TURNING TO THE PHENOMENON................................................................................................ 1 The Life and Homes of the Military Child .............................................................1 Experience, Identity, and Social Expectations of the Military Child in U.S. and Military Contexts .................................................................................... 3 Military Brats in Military and Civilian Contexts .................................................. 8 The Military Brat Identity .....................................................................................11 Not Perfect, but Somehow Better: Growing up Minority and a Military Brat ...................................................................................................................... 16 This is My American Quilt .................................................................................. 19 Something Isn’t Right: Race, Education, and Department of Defense Schools ................................................................................................................ 22 Coming of Age as a Military Child: College and Civilianization ......................27 “No Hold on Things”: Between the Military Family Life and College .............. 31 A Military Brat in College ................................................................................... 32 The Art of Persistence or How Loss Breeds Resilience for the Military Child in College ................................................................................................... 35 Re-Turning and Remembering the Military Child: Phenomenology and the Children of the Other 1% ...............................................................................39 To the Military Child Herself: Phenomenological Rendering of the Military in College ..................................................................................................43 CHAPTER 2: A HOUSE IS NOT