The number of Latinx college students is rapidly growing compared to other racial/ethnic groups (Fry & Lopez, 2012). Latinx students, however, are less likely to enroll and graduate from a graduate program. The disproportionate underrepresentation of Latinx doctoral students in US higher education is apparent when comparing the percentages of enrollment and graduation rate according to race/ethnicity. Abundant research notes the unique educational barriers faced by the group (Castellanos & Gloria, 2006; Yosso, Smith, Ceja, & Solorzano, 2009; Castellanos & Kamimura-Jimenez, 2015). The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explorer the experiences of the first-generation Latinx doctoral students in Historically White Institutions (HWI) through a psychosociocultural (PSC; Gloria, & Rodriguez, 2000) Critical Race Theory (CRT), and Latina/Latino Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) frameworks. The study takes on a strengths-based empowerment outlook towards first-generation Latinx doctoral students and their academic journeys. Precisely, the PSC is being used to investigate the role of psychological (coping responses and resiliency), social (family support, faculty support, and peer support) and cultural (ethnic identity, university environment/cultural congruity, and campus resources), support first-generation Latinx doctoral students to persistence in doctoral programs. The study provides insight into how university faculty and staff can help improve Latinx doctoral students’ persistence patterns. By reporting how Latinx doctoral students navigate their environment and its challenges, the study offers directives beneficial for the persistence and retention of Latinx in HWIs.