Advantages And Disadvantages Of Latinos

In a 2004 journal by Susan Auerbach, the concept of parental influence and support for Latina/o students is addressed. Auerbach shares that, “Research suggests the pivotal role of parents in promoting students’ college going” (Auerbach, p.127). It is no mystery that parents have great influence over their children, and when a parent is uneducated on how to best advise their child regarding higher education, they are unable to use this influence to encourage attendance. Auerbach states, “Families without a tradition of college going do not have sufficient knowledge to help their children navigate pathways to college” (Auerbach, p.140). According to the Latino Eligibility Study, the single most important barrier to college access for Latino students in California is lack of active knowledge of the steps needed to go to college (Gandara, 1998,2002). Parents of first generation students need tools that can aid in the child’s success and serve as a means of knowledge on what can be a challenging and confusing process. Another issue tied to parent involvement and understanding is that, “Poor and working class Latino families come to college preparation relatively late in students’ careers, with fewer resources and more obstacles” (Auerbach, p.136). The journal supports the idea that Latino/a parents are in need of early access to college preparation education in order to be able to challenge and support their

Texas’ government must work towards narrowing the income gap between the White and Hispanic populations, caused by the underwhelming socioeconomic status of many Latin American immigrants. This could be done by reforming the state’s educational system to better help Hispanics succeed. “…a lack of proactive efforts to address the unique needs of [Hispanics] in the educational system has untold implications for the future economic and social prosperity of the country…” (Saenz, et al,76) If Hispanics are to be the majority, the state should put more emphases on bi-lingual education. This will help reduce language barriers and make it easier for Spanish-speaking Hispanic children to succeed in the educational system. To combat statistics showing that a Hispanic student with poor socioeconomic status is heavily prone to taking drugs, committing crime, joining a gang, and going to prison, the state should invest in mentor programs. A 2008 study on the effects mentor programs have on Hispanic children showed that: “…having a mentor translated into positive academic outcomes, including greater expectancy of success, higher educational expectations, fewer absences, and a greater sense of school belonging.” (Saenz, et al, 80) These efforts will result in Hispanics having greater preparedness for higher education. The state would also benefit from investing in vocational

But just because the numbers seem to be getting better for Latinos it does not stop the fact that there are disparities in educational quality between communities of color. Unfortunately, the education system in America doesn’t provide a condition in which all students have the same benefits and opportunities because of education inequality. The United States education system; for example, is unequal and unfair because students who live in wealthy communities like suburbs have huge advantages over students who live in poorer neighborhoods. Wealthy communities tend to have modern facilities, up to date textbooks, more extracurricular activities, better libraries, and fewer students in a classroom. Many of the public school across America especially schools that myself has attended in Chicago are falling apart while wealthy communities are building Football stadiums that their construction price is in the millions. In most latino neighborhoods educational inequalities begin in early childhood education and persist throughout the K-12 system (Rodriguez, 2017). This stops many child’s abilities to succeed in postsecondary programs. So even though more Latinos are graduating from high school it doesn’t stop the fact that many are underprepared for college and careers after high school. This means that if they attend a postsecondary institution and it does not serve them well, the wealth return on their investment in education may not be as high or may not materialize at all (Rodriguez, 2017). Tuitions also keep rising every year which means the aid provided to Latinos seems to cover less of the tuition every year. As a result, more Latino students have been forced to take out student loans or having to pay more out of pocket. Many Latino students also feel they have no choice but to stay

With the greatly disproportionate number of unauthorized Latino immigrants (Appendix 1, Table 2), research shows that many Americans perceived Latinos as “Illegals” and “Criminals” (Perez 2010, Masouka, Junn p.167). This concept of Latinos affects the way the unauthorized immigrant population is treated, not only in the community, but in Congress as well. The portrayal of unauthorized immigrants as criminals allows politicians to prey on the fears of many honest and hardworking Americans.

In Leisy Abrego’s article, “I can’t go to college because I don’t have papers: Incorporation Patterns of Latino Undocumented Youth”, she discusses the barriers that undocumented students have to endure in order for them to get a higher education. I believe that it is because of structural violence, social capital, economic capital, and other conditions that cause these undocumented students to be at a disadvantaged. It is unfair, unjust, and sad to see so many intelligent students be deterred because they cannot go to college because of their lack of documented status. It sad to see that they are nothing but a documented status. Their status determines their entire future. It is scary! Professor Abrego just mentions some of the undocumented students’ stories. There are many out there, not just in

First of all, the state wide definition of College and Career Readiness (CCR) is “level of preparation students’ needs to enroll and succeed in a credit-bearing, entry-level college courses (ACT, 2015).” The statics of Hispanics high school students passing math and reading is 22% (Moore, 2010). Hispanics students have a higher percentage when looking at the subjects individually with 37% in reading and 39% in math but this is not a true indicator demonstrating college completion (Moore, 2010). The overall degree attainment in Texas, was 32% of the total population of which only 16% were of Hispanic or Latino origin (Education, 2011). By no means was language a barrier nor performance deficits, leaving their white counter parts preforming at 53% in reading, 58% in math, and 40% overall in both subject areas (Moore, 2010). The downfall of this study is that the reporting system Texas uses is a multivariate in which factors cannot be separated individually in order to assess College Readiness standards (Moore, 2010). “Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-270) and CCR agenda focus on ensuring students are prepared for college and beyond (Achieve, 2013).” Of the ten policies, that institution of higher education has not been able to align the transferability of coursework since each school is truly unique in the composition and excicution of coursework being taught. This change CCR standards has lead to the, revamping of the

In the end, the socioeconomic obstacles that Latinas must face in their education starting as early as middle school all the way until college had the biggest influence when Latinas choose to not go to college. Money and social status creates countless boundaries whether Latinas can’t pay for tuition, in or out of state, they need to support their families, or their parents cannot provide and assistance. More resources need to be provided for Latinas in and out of school so they feel supported on their path to finishing college while having an outlet for the frustration from discrimination they face on college campuses. Including more programs for Latinas to learn how to cope with their situation and offering more financial help to Latino families.

The higher consideration of out-of-state applicants directly conflicts with most universities’ vision for a “diverse student body”, but that is another problem in itself. Education policy professor Ozan Jacquette’s argument -”out-of-state students are more affluent, more likely to have parents with a college degree, and are disproportionately white...out-of-state students correlated a decline in Black, Latino and low-income students” (Jacquette) - points out the shift in demographics that consequents to a noticeable shift in the types of students admitted. A California student Paolina Cuevas expresses her disbelief in her home state’s admission processes: “I will be the first in my family to go to college, and I prepared for college applications... I believe that our state institutions should be able to serve those of us who have grown up here” (Cuevas). Although Cuevas and I share the same bias towards the system, she thoroughly supports Jacquette’s claim that less privileged students are losing educational opportunity due to the growing figure of accepted out-of-state

Chen’s state graduation rate data referenced the U.S. Department of Education to compare against her national percentages; this strengthened her findings. According to Nhan (2012), the Department of Education did not release national averages for race/ethnicity groups because several states had requested deadline extensions for these numbers, resulting in an incomplete data set. Thus, California’s progress is difficult to measure against that of the United States. Additionally, Chen’s results did not provide the rates for sub-divided racial/ethnic groups like that of California. This difference in how students are labeled and/or reported may skew the national population demographic for each of Chen’s three reported minorities. In spite of this, her data portrays that Asian and Latino students in the U.S. have significantly lower graduation rates than in California. Nationally, recent immigration and non-high school attendance in the U.S. contributes to the low percent for Latino students (Child Trends, 2013). Adversely, graduation rates for Black students in California reflect the national average. Overall, these statistics point out that educational resources need to be more effectively allocated to focus on California’s Black communities and to Asian and Latino communities nationwide.

Gardner, S. (2006). Today’s courts re-conceive race and ethnicity in college aid and admissions. The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education 17, 28-30.

The amount of undocumented students earning a degree is stagnant. From statistics from Baum and Flores only about 19 percent of undocumented students receive their bachelors’ degrees. Why is that? We need to examine the current governments administration and stance on the subject. What is being done with societal views on undocumented education. Lastly, what should be done is the changing of norms for personal achievement in undocumented youth personal self. The limits to their success in higher education can be impacted by advertisement of the problem and a reaching agreement about a solution. There is a need to allow undocumented youth in America to pursue higher education.

In the United States, many compare the fiscal advantages and disadvantages of immigration on the economy. Due to common misconceptions, immigrants face discrimination and prejudice because of their race on a daily basis. Some argue that immigration has a higher fiscal disadvantage toward to U.S. economy such as lowering of wages and a decrease in jobs for Americans, while others insist that immigration is one of the greatest advantages that the U.S. has because of the contributions they attribute. Although some argue that immigration represses American growth, immigration is one of the United States’ greatest advantages in terms of its economic benefits.

Based on immigration trends, predictions indicate that there will be a significant growth of immigrant college students on college campuses (2-year and 4-year institutions) in the near future (Erisman & Looney, 2007). Therefore, student affairs professionals will see a drastic shift in

The article titled, “Positive News on Hispanic High School Graduation and College Enrollment Rates,” by Angela McGlynn focuses mainly on the Hispanic and Chicano community. However, the topics discussed

Since higher education is closely associated with upward mobility, enrollment in community colleges has increased significantly in recent years. The majority of students who decide to enroll in community college come from underrepresented minorities. According to McGlynn, 2013, 65% to 75% of students who start the higher education path at a two-year institution come from Hispanic, African American, and Native American backgrounds. These students enroll in community college for reasons, such as open admissions policies and lower tuition rates. Although underrepresented minorities compose a large student population, a longitudinal study by Gándara, Alvarado, Driscoll and Orfield, 2012, shows that only 17% of Latino students and 19% of African American students who expressed interest in transferring did so.