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Educational Barriers for Hispanics
As an immigrant to the United States, I have encountered many barriers, much of which
were educational. These types of barriers have been going on for decades within our society and
culture. Many Hispanics feel that they cannot progress due to preconceived ideas in regard to
family history, employment, and language barriers. Many Hispanics arrive in this country with
little education, some who have not made it past the elementary years, which not only makes it
hard to progress in their native country, but especially a new country with high standards for
literacy and language.
As a Spanish teacher teaching Spanish and Heritage class, I have found that many of my
students still carry the idea that they are not capable of progressing due to the judgments of
others and family experience. Many of my students have witnessed family who value hard work
(two or more jobs), such as construction, house cleaning, and other types of hospitality work vs.
education and professional studies. I too witnessed this very same scenario with my own father
who told me that all I need to survive is two jobs. He did not feel it was necessary to strive for
more. I felt differently and worked hard to achieve my dreams. I knew I wanted a professional
career in teaching and this is why I want to share my experience and the experiences of others
with my students. Dreams and goals are achievable. You just have to believe that those barriers
can be broken.
Tienda, M. (2006). Hispanics and the future of America (p. 493). Washington,
D.C.: National Academies Press.
Many parents come to the United States seeking employment because in their homeland
there is a lack of jobs. Many of these parents did not finish middle or elementary school
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and there are many situations were these natives are illiterate. Hispanics are among the
least educated group in the United States (US Census Bureu, 2003). Even more troubling,
there are more than one-fourth of Hispanic adults who have less than a ninth grade
education (US Census Bureau, 2003),therefore they cannot support education at home or
know where to begin to guide their kids when there are assignments. However, many
parents believe that education is the key to success so that their children dont suffer as
they do. I understand that it is an important factor that parents participate in their
childrens education before they enter into preschool. Studies show that when a parent is
supportive of education during the early years, the chance of college graduation is higher.
My approach as a Hispanic teacher is to instill education to the parents by giving them
the opportunity to educate themselves by studying programs at their childrens school.
This will instill confidence and will get them more involved in their childrens education.
Kristof, N., & WuDunn, S. (2009). Investing in education. In Half the sky: Turning
oppression into opportunity for women worldwide (p. 288). New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Hispanic society is still under the macho idealism; women are submissive to the men who
are in charge of the family. In the past, women stayed home and cared for the family,
they did not have control over finances and were discouraged to get an education.
Women were then forced to rely on the man. Women often get married at a young age in
order to escape their family to gain independence and create their own family. The
Hispanic women still carry the same ideals of submission even after they enter the United
States. Luckily here in the United States, there are programs such as Oportunidades,
which encourages families to keep their daughters in school and offers a monthly stipend.
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As an educator I am going to encourage my female students to continue their education
because women can contribute to society just as much as men.
By the Numbers: ACE Report Identifies Educational Barriers for Hispanics. (211, January 1).
Retrieved October 4, 2014.
Most immigrants that are coming from Latin American Countries are from small towns,
they work on the fields, feed and care for the animals, and perhaps sell some sort of
products to survive. Most of these immigrants havent attended school, and if they have,
the maximum level of schooling they have received will have been at the 6th grade level.
They are aware that education is important but they don't have the resources to keep
going, therefore they would rather work. When they migrate to the United States,
between the ages of 16-19 years old they come with a low level of education and are here
with the intention of strictly working.
Ivey, P. (211). Overcoming Language and Cultural Barriers in School. Helping Hispanic
Students Acquire Success in Elementary School, 48-48.
As an educator I set high expectations for my students, it is important to challenge them
because I know that they are capable of advancing. Natives of the United States assume
that those with a primary language other than English are not educated and have low
expectations for them. The language barrier causes preconceived ideas from the United
States natives that result in students being forced into classes that are not challenging for
them. The language barrier causes disconnect between the school and parents and
drastically affects the education of the students. The majority of these parents would
prefer to not attend parent teacher conferences, meetings at school, and school events,
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because they don't feel connected. The parents want to support their children but they
don't know how because the only language they know is their native language.
Armario, H. (2010, August 5). Poll: Language a barrier for Latinos in schools.
Retrieved October 5, 2014.
Dual-immersion is a shift from the direction of states such as California, Arizona and
Massachusetts, where voters have largely banned bilingual classes. On a broader level,
some 30 states and numerous localities have passed laws making English the official
language, a move that critics say will lead to more cuts in bilingual programs. (Armario,
2010)
Schools that offer Spanish language classes have many advantages for kids. It benefits
those students who are native speakers as it keeps them connected with their heritage and
promotes a comfortable learning environment and provides an outlet for their parents to
connect with the schools. Another benefit of offering a Spanish class is that it enhances
the learning of those whose primary language is not Spanish as it is the leading language
to English in the United States.
DMPS, Drake, DMACC Forming the 3D Coalition to Identify, Education and Hire
More Minority Teachers. (2013, August 21). Retrieved October 5, 2014, from
http://www.dmschools.org/news_release/dmps-drake-dmacc-forming-the-3d-coalition-to-
identify-education-and-hire-more-minority-teachers/
Having a student-teacher connection is vital to a childs education. When I was younger
and in school, I always wanted someone that could understand my culture, my customs,
and someone that I could connect with. I work in a district that is highly diverse in
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regard to students but not diverse in regard to educators, hiring more minority teachers
with similar backgrounds, as the minority students would enhance the student-teacher
connection. In 2012-13, minority students at Des Moines Public Schools, the largest
school district in Iowa, made up 53.4% of enrollment. During that same time, only 10%
of administrators and 4.5% of certified teachers were minority.(Des Moines Public
Schools, 2013). DMPS is bringing awareness to our need for more minority teachers and
are encouraging them to apply by offering additional benefits. Minority teachers in the
classroom will be an inspiration to our diverse student population and will become
leaders and role models in our community. I truly believe that DMPS is doing a great job
in incorporating more diversity. This will improve the success of our student population.
New Report Shows Hispanic Success in Education Key to America's Future;
Largest U.S. Minority Group Has Lowest Education Attainment Levels.
(2011, April 27). Retrieved October 5, 2014, from http://www.ed.gov/news/press-
releases/new-report-shows-hispanic-success-education-key-americas-future-largest-us-
minor
The nations Hispanic population increased by 15.2 million in the last decade,
accounting for more than half of the nations total population growth. The report shows
that Hispanics will drive the growth of the labor force over the next several decades,
accounting for 60 percent of the nations growth between 2005 and 2050. ( U.S
Department of Education). Hispanics for nature will be here and immigration will never
stop, weather they have the documents to come here or not. We Hispanics have to
conscious that we play a pretty big role in this country and we have for so many years. If
we a Hispanics have conscious of the impact that we can do to this country we will
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prioritize education and we as the biggest minority in the United States could set the
example to succeed in this country.
IMPROVING EDUCATION FOR THE LATINO COMMUNITY. (2010, October 19).
Retrieved October 5, 2014.
I have witnessed first-hand the obstacles that minority students have faced in regard to
financing their education. The Dream Act offers certified documents to minorities so that
they can stay here, work, and continue their studies, but unfortunately end up running
into obstacles when trying to apply for financial aid. Financial aid or FASFA requires
their parent or guardians social security number and in most cases they don't have one,
therefore students are unable to apply for assistance. This situation contradicts itself: the
students have certified documents so they can continue their education but an obstacle
arises almost always due to lack of social security numbers from guardians. The end
result being that students are forced into the work force with a lack of education.
Furger, R. (2013, April 13). How to End the Dropout Crisis: Ten Strategies for Student
Retention. Retrieved October 5, 2014, from http://www.edutopia.org/student-dropout-
retention-strategies
Hispanic culture is traditionally known for having large families, sometimes more than 5
kids. Money becomes an issue when just one parent works and the mother stays home
and takes care of the children. The children are then forced to drop out of school and start
supporting their families. In most cases it is the oldest son or daughter that drops out of
school and enters into the workforce. Unfortunately, this is not the childs first choice,
but they are now faced with a dilemma. Which is more important, education or family?
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For some students, dropping out is the culmination of years of academic hurdles,
missteps, and wrong turns. For others, the decision to drop out is a response to conflicting
life pressures -- the need to help support their family financially or the demands of caring
for siblings or their own child. (Furger)
The Road to a College Diploma:. (2002). The Complex Reality of Raising Educational
Achievement for Hispanics in the United States. An Interim Report of the President's
Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans., 35-35
Me di cuenta durante este ao que mi hija necesitaba ayuda en su clase de matemticas.
Y durante la primera reunin escolar de padres de familias, habl con su maestra de
matemticas
para que la ayudara, y nadie hizo nada, ni su consejera, ni en la oficina, ni su maestra. Y
ella sali mal, en matemticas e historia.
Ana S. Rivera, madre
Reunin comunitaria de Los Angeles,
el 15 de Julio de 2002
I realized this year that my daughter needed help in her math class. And, at the first
open house, I spoke with her math teacher so that she would get help and nobody did
anything, not her counselor, or the office, or her teacher. And she performed badly in
math and history.
Ana S. Rivera, mother
Los Angeles Town Hall, July 15, 2002
Even though the image of a Hispanic has been degraded by its own culture and actions
there are people who are working to make changes. The White House Initiative along
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with the Department of Education are working together to improve education for
minority students by encouraging quality teachers to teach in low income communities
and by providing support and education to the entire family. Whether a classroom is a
one-room schoolhouse or an advanced chemistry lab, the one essential ingredient for
educational success is a dedicated and highly knowledgeable teacher. U.S. Secretary of
Education Rod Paige recently said, Our new education reforms ask a lot of Americas
teachers and we owe them something in return. We owe them our respect. We owe them
our support. And we owe them the training and the tools to succeed.
In conclusion, it will be my responsibility as an educator to enhance my students
knowledge and school experience by offering resources and opportunity. Both my personal and
academic background has given me the knowledge and experience to move forward and inspire
others. I understand that connection between teachers, students, parents, and community is
essential for success. I want my students to excel, I know that the barriers can be broken, and I
know that sometimes it only takes one person to make a world of difference.