The Role of the Family in the IT Career Goals of Middle School Latinas

Little is known about the role of family in middle school Latinas’ pathway to an IT-related career. This paper will present findings on how rural, Latina girls are thinking about the role of family in their career interests. The 77 participants range in age from 12-13, and most have parents who were born in Mexico and work in service-related jobs. Students described their career goals, influences on their goal(s), how their parents would feel if they chose to be a computer scientist, and whether their goal would be different if they were a boy. Few described an IT-related goal, and parent support was not a factor. Most students reported that parents were the primary influence on their goals, and most said that their parents would be supportive IF they chose to be a computer scientist. One third said that their career choice would change if they were a boy.