On September 2015, the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, marked its 25th anniversary. With the shift of the nation’s demographics, higher education is concerned with the academic success of Latinos. Not only is the federal government addressing issues of access and equity for underserved minorities’ populations, but higher education is playing a crucial role in reducing the academic achievement gaps for Latinos.
Why is this important?
Latinos constitute one of the fastest-growing populations in the United States. This growth has led Latinos to become one of the “largest” racial/ ethnic groups in American Higher Education: 55 million strong, as estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2014. Yet, they are one of the least educated and the least represented ethnic groups in educational institutions. However, they are the least studied and represented ethnic groups in educational institutions. The Latino representation in educational institutions are lower compared to other ethnic minorities.
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With the increasing demand for higher educational degrees, it is quite alarming that Latinos don’t have access to higher education as their counterparts. Why are Latinos not attending higher education? Investing in higher education achievement for Latinos, our fastest growing populations, is highly important, as Latinos and white students have the largest college completion gap http://www.ncsl.org/research/education/ensuring-latino-success-in-college-and-workforce.aspx
What are some of the main barriers preventing Latinos from completing a college degree? Latinos are struggling with access to higher education, navigating the college process, and once enrolled paying for their college
Book Review Paper Questions A-1 In Dreaming Forward: Latino Voices Enhance the Mosaic by Martha E. Casazza, we read about different challenges and experiences many Latinos face in the education system, communities, and families. College student, Fabian, his problem in the school system was the lack of support and resources he had to face at his high school. “Going to school was like walking into a prison, where the environment is so negative people don’t respect you; people look down on you. There’s no encouragement.” Fabian describes the teachers, counselors, and administrators as unsupportive which ultimately caused him to lose interest in school.
There are many data that show Latinx high school dropout rates have significantly decreased while Latinx college enrollment has increased. In 1996, the dropout rate for Latinx high school students was thirty four percent. Twenty years later that rate decreased by more than half and was at a record ten percent in 2016. That same year, forty-seven percent of Latinx high school graduates enrolled in a post-secondary institution, up fifteen percentage points from 1999 (Gramlich, 2017). Despite Latinx college enrollment being at an all-time high compared to former years, Latinx are still inordinately behind other groups in obtaining a post-secondary degree.
“One of my really close friends is not a United States citizen and is here attending school. I feel worried for her that she has to attend school in such a hostile environment.” Texas A&M University needs to get better at being real and acknowledging that racism exists on campus said Alejandra Luna, a Hispanic political science major. “I didn't know that being a minority meant your life was gonna be complicated,” said Luna. I didn't know we were constantly gonna be looked at as the standard for every minority.”
In addition, the Government Accountability Office [GAO] (2016) reported: “from school years 2000-2001 to 2013-2014, the percentage of all K-12 public schools that had high percentages of poor and black or Hispanic students grew from 9 to 16 percent” (p. 2). These findings suggest that practices of racially and economically segregating students of color continue unresolved. Sadly, poverty and race are automatic disqualifiers for children of color to have equal access to quality
Even though these successful schools produce great students many children, majority African American and Hispanic, are being left behind. In Maya Angelou’s
Between the years 2004–2005, African-Americans received over 136,122 bachelors degrees compared to The year of 2019, 192,717 black students received bachelor degrees. With this being said 30% consider themselves being minority and African-Americans compromise 14% of college enrollment in the year 2015. Statistical backings indicate that undergraduate enrollment for black students increased by 57% between the year 2000 and 2014, but experienced the lowest six you graduate Rate among their peers. Studies show that discrimination, Micro aggression, and isolation may play factors in drop outs. It is important to know that African-Americans present an exceptional amount of creativity, research ability and perseverance that is needed for every institution.
As the Latino population of the United States continues to burgeon, so does its influence in all aspects of American society. The far-reaching influence of Latinos has exploded in the past few decades, with 17% of the U.S. population who identify as Latino controlling over $1.5 trillion USD in spending power. A section of society where Latino influence continues to rise is in the American political process and the formation of public policy. Latinos have managed to fill a vacant position in nearly every spot of government, culminating with a U.S. Latino holding a crucial stake in a fierce battle for the presidency. As Latinos continue to grow in size and influence, attention should be invested in promoting civic engagement and enhancing political representation of Latinos at all levels of government.
Hispanics, initial drawbacks frequently come from their parents ' immigrant and economic position and their sparse knowledge regarding the United States education system. While Hispanic students navigate through the school system, insufficient resources in schools and their awkward rapport with teachers continues to weaken their academic achievement. Initial drawbacks continue to mount up, causing the Hispanic population in having the least high school and college degree accomplishment, which is counterproductive of having a possibility for stable employment. According to Portman & Awe (2009) school counselors and comprehensive school counseling programs are anticipated to play a dynamic role in addressing the discrepancy between diverse
Civic engagement will become incredibly important for the Latino population in America as we seek to enhance our political representation at the local, state, and federal levels. It is no secret that a Latino majority is coming to our great nation. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2014 there were more than 20 million children under 5 years old living in the U.S., and 50.2 percent of them were minorities, mostly Latino. Given these numbers, it is especially troubling that research indicates a low level of civic engagement for Latinos across the nation. Because the number of Latinos in the United States is relatively large and growing, the extent to which Latinos remain less engaged in civic life represents a serious gap in America’s public
Historically, Latinos are known as one of the biggest minority groups residing in the United States. There are many attributes that apply to this particular population and one of the most current ones is the numbers of college graduates increasing with the years. The goal of this research project is to study Latinos and higher education. The purpose of this research is to study first-generation Latino college student and the specific financial challenges and the benefits that come with being a member of such ethnic group. My goal is to learn what specific challenges these students have to overcome as a first generation as well as the benefits given to these particular students for being a first generation.
Despite the US Supreme Court ruling that made segregation in schools illegal (in Brown v. Board of Education), school districts around the country continued to discriminate against Latino students. As [someone from documentary] mentions, “quote”. Although nearly half a century has passed since East L.A. Walkouts, limitations on Chicano Studies continue to occur. To understand the contributions of the ‘Walkouts’, we will paragraph 1 and challenges that the education of Chicanos currently face. Prior to the implementation from the federal government, such as English as a Second Language (ESL), College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP), and Executive Order 15333, Chicano students in California and Texas demonstrated protested which forced school districts and the United States government to focus on the issues.
An education should be a priority to all students and we, as the Latino community, must reshape the policy flaws to establish a foundation that will help the growing Latino community. From my own personal experience,
Hoekenga (2012) noted that the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the Hispanic population in the U.S will reach 132.8 million by the year 2050, when almost one in three Americans will be Hispanic. Yet today Hispanic students (as well as other minorities) continue to be underrepresented in the STEM disciplines (Hoekenga, 2012). In the face of these disparities Hispanic scientists have had a major and lasting impact on the world around them. In many cases they overcame obstacles, including racism and sexism, poverty, cultural and family expectations, and lack of mathematics background, in order to work and excel in the fields that they love.
Latinos are making drastic changes to the Latino threat narrative and making a difference in education and politics. The empowerment of the Latino population is derived from education; continued education for all generations is the key to success for Latinos. Latinos will strive and change standards for their population in the United
Martha Peraza SOC 3340 Inequality in Education California State University, Bakersfield Abstract In the United States, there exists a gap in equality for different demographics of students. The factors contributing to educational disadvantages include socioeconomic struggles, gender of students, language or culture, and particularly for the scope of this paper, race.