First Gen & Juice - by La'tonya Rease Rease Miles & Martha Enciso (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

First Gen & Juice: Exploring First-Generation College Student Narratives in Pop Culture and Mass Media is a practical, imaginative, and deeply engaging resource for educators, student-success professionals, and anyone working with 21st-century learners.

Born from conference rooms, comic conventions, classrooms, and countless conversations with first-generation students and the people who support them, this edited collection invites readers to rethink how first-gen identity is taught, discussed, and understood. Rather than approaching the first-generation college experience solely through deficit-based or struggle-focused narratives, First Gen & Juice turns to the cultural texts students (and instructors) already know and love-film, television, comics, animation, music, and fandom-to spark recognition, connection, and critical reflection.

Each chapter centers the first-generation college experience and offers a deep dive into a specific pop-culture text or genre, from blockbuster films and television series to K-pop and superheroes. Contributors examine how first-gen journeys are portrayed, complicated, or erased across mass media-and why those representations matter in real classrooms and campus spaces.

What sets this book apart is its unapologetically use-it-tomorrow approach. Every chapter includes discussion questions, adaptable assignments, activity ideas, and program or workshop concepts designed for immediate application. Readers will find ideas that work in first-year seminars, learning communities, summer bridge programs, orientation sessions, transfer-student programming, graduate and professional school spaces, and co-curricular workshops. Chapters can be read in any order, making the book ideal for instructors and practitioners looking to plug a single idea into an existing syllabus-or redesign a course with cultural relevance at the center.

First Gen & Juice is intentionally accessible. You don't need to be fluent in every fandom or keep up with every trend to use this book effectively. Instead, the editors encourage readers to start with their own interests and passions, modeling how authenticity and curiosity can build stronger learning environments for today's students.

At its core, this book affirms that first-generation students are not an afterthought in popular culture or in education. Their stories are complex, creative, and worthy of close attention. For those committed to culturally responsive pedagogy, student engagement, and reimagining how learning happens in the 21st century, First Gen & Juice offers both inspiration and a clear roadmap forward.

Review Quotes

Every once in a while, you encounter a book and wonder where it has been all your life. For me, First Gen & Juice: Exploring First-Gen College Student Narratives in Pop Culture and Mass Media is one of those books. Both innovative and practical, this thoughtfully curated collection demonstrates how contemporary pop culture and mass media can be used to help first-generation students see their experiences reflected, valued, and understood.

Each chapter offers discussion questions and creative assignments that can be implemented immediately in courses, as well as in programs and services across functional areas. While first-generation experiences are at the center of the collection, the approaches and examples can easily be adapted to support other students navigating college and life transitions.

More than a compelling read, First Gen & Juice is an essential resource for faculty and staff committed to supporting first-generation college students.

-Stephanie M. Foote, Ph.D., Vice President for Teaching, Learning, and Evidence-Based Practices, John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Higher Education

With this brilliant collection, La'Tonya Rease Miles And Martha Enciso have cracked the code on how educators can use popular culture and media to help students think critically about the first generation college--and build community along the way. Packed with innovative pedagogical tools, First Gen & Juice equips educators to guide students in exploring social capital and belonging while uncovering the unique "superpowers" of their first-generation experience that can empower them to thrive.

- Dr. Larissa M. Mercado-López, co-editor of The Selena Reader: Remembering the Queen of Tejano (2026)

First Gen & Juice recognizes what many of our students already know: popular culture and fandom can be powerful spaces for identity, belonging, and learning. Reading as a former first-gen student-and now a professor and administrator who works closely with first-gen students-I valued how this book keeps first-gen experiences at the center while offering practical, adaptable ideas for both classroom teaching and student-success programming. It's an affirming, actionable resource for building engagement and belonging through stories students already carry with them.

-Dr. Nate Rodriguez, Full Professor & Associate Director, School of Journalism and Media Studies, San Diego State University