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In this study, we explored (a) how Latina undergraduate students negotiated their multiple identities while participating in a research internship designed to create spaces that counter master narratives, and the forms of cultural wealth that were implicated in these identity negotiations, and (b) ways in which the various elements of the research internship impacted the student’s identity negotiations. The theoretical framing brought together conceptions of identity and identity construction, the marginalization of Latin*s in science and science education and the master narratives shaping identity intersectionalities, and the creation of counter narratives that make use of multiple forms of community cultural wealth. Using phenomenology, we analyzed four Latina interns’ work artifacts generated in various activities within each element of the research internship that aimed to provide Latin* students with opportunities to explore and build on their cultural assets while studying the monarch butterfly population in relation to milkweed restoration and utilization. We found that the research interns referred to different forms of cultural wealth as they grappled with their multiple identities and their intersectionalities, and the various science research internship elements offered different pathways for their grappling. The findings point to (a) structures at the macro- and micro-levels, and enduring master narratives and distal identities, that influence proximal identities and are implicated in identity conundrums; (b) the role of cultural wealth in creating productive spaces and places of science engagement and counter narratives; and (c) the explicitness needed in educational activities so that science students may engage with the intersectionalities of their multiple identities. 

Abstract PremiseEvolutionary theory predicts polymorphism should be rare; however, intraspecific variation in floral color is common and can be attributed to genetic drift, plasticity, or variable selection. Examining floral color polymorphism both within contact zones and across a species' range can reveal the mechanisms maintaining this variation. Here, we used a multistep approach to investigate spatially heterogeneous variation in floral bract color inCastilleja coccinea. MethodsWe compared frequencies of color morphs, floral morphology, fitness, and genetic structure in regional populations and in a common garden. Next, we examined habitat differences, including edaphic factors, as potential drivers of variation. Lastly, we leveraged herbarium and iNaturalist occurrence data to investigate whether patterns were consistent at the landscape scale. ResultsBract color inC. coccineais genetically heritable, with yellow dominant over red, and is under selection. Populations are predominantly monomorphic, with color distance showing no correlation to genetic or geographic distance, despite significant genetic isolation by distance. Yellow morphs were associated with open wetlands, while red morphs occurred at drier sites with nearby tree cover. Red morphs demonstrated lower fitness in a common garden, suggesting trade‐offs associated with pleiotropic effects of floral color. ConclusionsDifferences in floral color between morphs are consistent with diversification associated with a shift in ecological niche. We identified variation in edaphic and habitat conditions as probable drivers of divergence in floral color. Additionally, variation in other floral traits suggests a combined role of pollinators and habitat differences acting in concert to maintain distinct floral color morphs.