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Rianna Herrera

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Rianna Herrera poses wearing glasses and a gray-green blouse, with green trees in the background

3rd Place

Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences, 2026

I knew I could not design a successful study without first understanding how similar qualitative studies have been carried out by prior researchers, and what findings already exist.”

— Rianna Herrera

Obligations and Opportunities: A Qualitative Analysis of Filipinx Americans’ Aspirations for Higher Education and Mobility

Honors thesis in Sociology

Read Rianna’s Honors Thesis

Project Description

Herrera conducted original research exploring the college experiences and aspirations of Filipina and gender-non-conforming (GNC) Filipinx Americans, including the influence of gendered family expectations, individual ambitions, and gender and ethnic identity. Based on what she learned in her initial literature review, Herrera developed a semi-structured interview guide and interviewed 21 Filipina and GNC Filipinx American undergrads at several California universities to uncover new insights about Filipinx American college students.

In Her Own Words

Read Rianna’s reflective essay (pdf) from her Lang Prize application.

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