This article focuses on Danny, a low-income, first-generation college student living in Los Angeles, California, and the challenges he has faced in preparing for college. The author describes how Danny’s identity and “cultural flexibility” have aided him as he applied to college. Four themes dominate Danny’s life: his neighborhood, his father and family, school, and boxing and college. The author argues that better understanding such students might enable researchers and policymakers to create ideas for educational reform in a more cautious and meaningful manner. Life history is one way to gain a better understanding.
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