Senior Capstone ℅ 2018

5-24-2018

The Value of Education to an Urban Latino Student: An Autoethnography

Nicole Mendoza

Los Angeles Leadership Academy High School, nicolemendozaofficial@gmail.com

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Senior Capstone ℅ 2018

The Value of Education to Urban Latino Students: An Autoethnography

Abstract
The purpose of this essay is to discuss the value of education for urban Latino students
and the circumstances that may quell or suppress Latino success. Students of Latino heritage
residing in urban cities endure hardships throughout their education, such as the lack of financial
assistance and the attendance to underfunded schools. Graphs, scholarly journals, and
documentaries from sources such as Penn State University and the Public Broadcasting Service
are utilized to further explore these studies and the impact of postsecondary education with
regard to urban Latino students. This essay seeks to inform Latino students and school
administrators so they can assist in improving conditions in urban schools.

Keywords: ​education, drop out rate, college attendance, guidance, limited resources, deficit
thinking

Acknowledgements
Ms. Brittany Estrada and Mr. Mario Soto for assisting me with whatever I needed.
Kendrick Lamar and Cardi B for accompanying me through their music on long nights when I
was working on this capstone project and needed something to keep me awake.
Matias Stocker and Waldo Garcia for keeping me sane by correcting each of my drafts.
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The Value of Education to an Urban Latino Student

Nicole Mendoza
Los Angeles Leadership Academy HS, Los Angeles, California, USA

The purpose of this essay is to discuss the value of education for urban Latino students

and the circumstances that may quell or suppress Latino success. Students of Latino heritage

residing in urban cities endure hardships throughout their education, such as the lack of

financial assistance and the attendance to underfunded schools. Graphs, scholarly journals, and

documentaries from sources such as Penn State University and the Public Broadcasting Service

are utilized to further explore these studies and the impact of postsecondary education with

regard to urban Latino students. This essay seeks to inform Latino students and school

administrators so they can assist in improving conditions in urban schools.

The Incident

It was a rainy afternoon in February. I was waiting out front of LA Leadership Academy

High School, shivering from the winds and the droplets that fell on my face. My friends and I

had stayed after school, and when they left, I called my dad to come pick me up. That day, my

Algebra teacher had gone over our current grades in his class. I had an F. Report cards were to

arrive that day and I dreaded the storm coming my way when I got home.

My eyes caught sight of the red truck pulling up to the school’s drop-off. The sprinkling

of the rain silenced and the voice of Chalino Sanchez engulfed my ears as I got into the truck and
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shut the door. I felt my father stare at me as I fastened my seatbelt.

“So, Mom wants to talk to you as soon as we get home,” he said. This is it. This is where

it all ends. My melodramatic thoughts filled me with fear and all I could get out was a quiet

“Okay.” A few seconds of silence passed before my dad spoke again.

“Really? An F?”

My eyes traveled down to my intertwined fingers and I began twiddling my thumbs. My

heart raced due to the fact that my dad never so much as raised his voice towards me or my

siblings, much less yell. “You think you’ll get into a good college with an F on your transcript?

You won’t even get into Glendale Community College.” Okay, that stung. I understood the

concept of just enrolling into community college as opposed to applying and awaiting a decision.

In that sense, my grades didn’t really matter. I could enroll in community college no matter what

my transcript looked like. Tears welled in my eyes, and I swallowed hard, holding them back. I

can’t recall the rest of what he said; my mind seemed to have blocked out sounds as I

concentrated on the road ahead of me. He stopped his criticizing as he put the truck in park. He

sighed and got out of the car without a word.

My next goal was to just get to my room and take a long awaited nap. I almost made it

past the dining table but my mother’s voice broke me from my thoughts. She called my name

and I slowly sat at the table, unable to make eye contact with her. My stomach grumbled as the

smell of dinner flowed in from the kitchen; my hunger only added to my irritability. She spent

the next few minutes discussing my low grade; she argued I should try harder, despite my

already-frequent tutoring sessions after school. Adding to her arguments, she compared me to

my older sister, who was valedictorian of her graduating class and a Gates Millenium Scholar. I
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couldn’t help but roll my eyes. It was an argument that I had already heard multiple times. It was

only a few seconds more before I could no longer hold in my anger, and I slammed my hand on

the table: “YOU ALWAYS MAKE ME FEEL LIKE SHIT! WHY?!” My mother stopped

speaking and watched me carefully as I felt the hot tears on my cheeks. I remember storming into

my room. That night was an awakening for me. Maybe she did have some valid points. My

grades had been slipping, and I wasn’t as motivated as my older sister and peers. She just wanted

me to succeed and achieve my career goals. I turned myself around that semester; a newfound

motivation and stride lived within me, aching to succeed. It was the first time I truly understood

why it was important to value education.

Analysis

Introduction

Finding myself in a heated argument with my mother is what it took to open my eyes to

realize the true importance of education. Before this event, I did not take school as seriously as I

should have. My grades were never so bad to the extent of having straight Fs, but they were not

as high as they should have been. I lacked the motivation to be studious and did not set a goal to

maintain a high grade point average. After I excused myself to my room in tears, I began

questioning why this was such an issue to my parents. Was it because my sister had set high

standards that I was also expected to achieve? Was it because my parents did not know how hard

high school was? Parents becoming angry at low grades was a problem that I noticed mostly

among students of color, particularly Latino students.

During my first two years of high school, I kept in contact with friends from middle

school who attended different high schools, as well as older friends who I knew from other
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schools. They all had experienced the same struggle, which led me to a question I had a burning

desire to answer: Do we as Latino youth in urban settings truly value education? I had heard the

stereotype before: Latino youth don’t care about school; that’s why they drop out. But part of me

believed that our ability to value education was out of the Latino community’s control. The more

I thought about my educational experiences as a Latinx, I realized that I had not seen many of

my family members or friends pursue higher education. For this reason, I began to explore the

possibilities as to why there is such a low attendance rate of Latinos in colleges and universities.

Study of Focus

A study conducted by Child Trends, a 40 year old leading institution of child and family

research, shows that 10.6% of the Latino youth community dropped out of high school or college

(2014). It is common to view these statistics and create a list of possible myths as to why Latino

students drop out. When it comes to the topic of Latino dropouts, most individuals will readily

agree that the dropout rates are due to laziness, culture, and intellectual capacity. Where the

argument usually ends is in an analysis of “not having”. Richard R. Valencia, ​a professor of

Educational Psychology and Faculty Associate of the Center for Mexican American Studies at

The University of Texas, Austin and Mary S. Black, the former head of the Department of

Curriculum at The University of Texas, Austin (2002) expand on this model of assessment: “We

contend that the basis of the myth ― [Latinos] don’t value education ― lies in the

pseudoscientific notion of ‘deficit thinking’... Deficit thinking refers to the idea that students…

fail in school because they and their families have internal defects” (p.83). Deficit thinking is the

notion of blaming the victim for issues that are out of their control (Valencia, 1997). This theory

instills the thought that Latino students are at fault for dropping out, when in reality, the fault is
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largely of external factors.

Latino students are at a disadvantage due to factors such as low income and immigration

status. Additionally, lack of support and motivation from school administrators, teachers, and

family allow Latino students to fall under the “Lazy and Uneducated Latino” stereotype

(Tristam, 2011). From examining the factors that hinder Latino educational success, such as: a

broken education system, insufficient income, and familial responsibilities; it is clear that urban

Latino students value their education despite having to endure and overcome these struggles.

The effects of a broken education system on Latino students

Enduring the high school experience is difficult, especially in an urban setting. However,

Vygotsky's sociocultural theory states that educational outcomes are largely determined by

teachers, mentors, and communities (Marrero, 2016). When accompanied by an advisor or

mentor, Latino students begin to feel support, which triggers motivation within the student to

continue studying and reach their full potential. Not having guidance to support better

decision-making for their future and their community causes a majority of Latino students to

struggle academically. Additionally, effort must come from both ends. If staff do not attempt to

understand their situations, a lack of effort is reciprocated from the students as well. Research

shows that the probability of dropping out of high school lessens when provided with

opportunities to enhance their life through academics (Rueda, Loera, & Joo Oh, 2015). A lack of

connection between the students and administration will force them to find that effort from

another source.

Especially in urban neighborhoods, students often turn to gang-affiliated groups, seeking

support and outside opinions on what exactly is right or wrong. In the short documentary ​The
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Graduates (2013), Bernardo Ruiz, a young Latino subject, is quoted in an interview, stating:

“The people that I know that dropped out ― they either joined a gang or just [stay] at home or

[work]”. This interview was a small example of the students’ need and desire for community. If

schools cannot offer healthy, supportive communities, students may look elsewhere.

Furthermore, schools that do not provide encouraging administration not only create

negative associations of school to the individual student, but to the community in which the

school resides. It radiates the idea that the administration does not believe in the students and

causes the student to set lower expectations of themselves and their capabilities (Marrero, 2016)​.

Studies by Floralba Arbelo Marrero, assistant professor of education at Carlos Albizu University,

state:

Schools that cannot convey appropriate messages and affect policies that are relevant to

their populations will negatively impact the school community and serve as barriers to

student access… Latino students need nurturing, trusting relationships with their teachers

that are built through sincere interest, attention, and understanding. (2016, p. 181-182)

In essence, the impact of community in school culture is significant. If schools do not set

effective policies to support students, there is no guarantee for Latino academic success.

Assistance from those in the surrounding environment is of the utmost significance in a Latino

student’s academic and personal life. While students cannot control all aspects of their

environment, schools should accommodate to the needs of their students. F.A. Marrero argues

the following:

Schools should consider culture and ethnicity from an asset based perspective,

understanding that the traditional American model may not apply to all Latino students
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and their families. When schools learn to care, respect, and treat ethnicity from a more

value-based perspective, better outcomes may result. (2016, p. 183)

Education should be tailored to different cultural perspectives to ensure success among all

students.

Economic struggles Latino communities encounter

Schools in urban neighborhoods such as Lincoln Heights and Boyle Heights do not

compare to those in higher income areas such as Beverly Hills or Pasadena in terms of average

income (Data Desk, 2017). For this reason, Latino youth are not exposed or given access to a

strong support system. The educational levels of parents or immediate family members are

accounted for when students make significant decisions such as attending university. “A larger

percentage of Latino parents have low education levels and/or unfamiliar with the American

educational system… This creates a system where many Latino parents do not have the

necessary information to pass on to their children about how to be successful in college,” (Torres

and Hernandez, p. 142, 2009-2010). Significant opinions begin to affect a young person’s belief

system which may stem from their parent’s willingness to support their children academically.

Research indicates parents want to help their children in any way that they can, but when a

parent who did not receive a college education lacks the knowledge of the college application

process, the student may be left feeling discouraged (PBS, 2012). These students may also

experience challenges when they apply for financial aid. These situations leave one wondering,

how can a first generation Latino student receive help at home?

More often than not, urban Latino students are unmotivated to work hard in school

because of knowledge of limited resources. Communities and their schools receive state funding
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through property taxes, which is determined by the value of homes in the area; in result, minority

students living in urban neighborhoods do not receive the quality education they need in order to

succeed. While some after school programs may be of assistance, they may not always be

sufficient in informing students of their ability to attend university. Lack of financial aid

contributes most to dropout rates. According to "See 20 Years of Tuition Growth at National

Universities" (2017), “out-of-state tuition and fees at public National Universities have risen 194

percent. In-state tuition and fees at public National Universities have grown the most, increasing

237 percent” (Boyington). The inaffordability of college attendance forces students to turn away

from these opportunities. Financial aid that a student may receive is determined by family

income, and while net income may be low, financial aid awards given may still not be enough.

Nora and Crisp (2009) expand on the need for financial aid, stating that “[although]

proportionately Latinos were more likely to receive federal aid than all of the other racial groups

combined, they received the lowest average aid award of any racial/ethnic group” (p. 332). In

situations like these, students end up not pursuing higher education and, in turn, work to support

themselves and their families.

Undocumented students are especially stuck with the shortest end of the stick

consequently due to their undocumented status. Foreign-born students struggle more and must

work harder than other students to be accepted into the colleges of their choice. While it is

widely known that most immigrant families migrate to the United States to receive more

educational opportunities, the limited chances they have access to may discourage students’

aspirations at times.The work "Learning and Motivational Characteristics of Urban Latino High

School Youth" (2015) states the following: “... [immigrant] youth faced more difficulties
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enrolling in college and pursuing a promising career because of their undocumented status…

these experiences often result in decreased motivation and increased tendency of dropping out”

(Rueda, Loera, and Joo Oh, p. 9). Undocumented students are often the ones put in positions to

work under-the-table jobs, in which the source of income goes unreported to the government and

receive payments in cash, increasing the risks of underpaid work and deportation threats if not

compliant. In 2014, undocumented Latino youth made up 18% of the high school dropout

population (Child Trends, 2014). Fortunately, programs such as the Dream Act, DACA

(Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), and private scholarships like the Hispanic Scholarship

Fund and the Society of Hispanic Foundation Scholarship have aided in lowering the number of

Latino dropouts and promoted higher education through providing financial aid and economic

assistance.

Latinos seeking to support their families

Family is a significant factor for Latino students deciding to pursue higher education,

especially those who are low-income. Despite these afflictions, some students are motivated by

the opportunity “to please their families by doing well in school” (Rueda, p. 16, 2008). Often,

Latino students in urban school settings are encouraged to succeed academically in hope of

someday pulling their families out of economic difficulties. Floralba Arbelo Marrero’s (2016)

study found the following:

... it is important to note that the prominence of the family within the culture can

also have a negative effect on educational outcomes. Many Latino students have

had to postpone educational aspirations in order to financially support family

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members… Latino family values, which include “​familismo, respeto, and

educación​” all interact to impact achievement. (p. 181)

Due to the large wage gap between Latinos and

Caucasians, many students must prioritize leaving

school to work and support their families; this is

because, as seen in the image, Latinos earn the least

amount of money annually: men earn approximately

69% of the Caucasian men’s annual wage, while Latinas only earn 58% (Patten, 2016). If wage

gaps were to close and Latino workers’ income were to increase, there would be less need for

students to drop out or postpone their higher education in order to maintain their family

economically.

Of the Latino youth that do have the opportunity to earn a degree, it may be difficult to

understand why their parents did not have access to the same opportunities. This lack of access

may have been misinterpreted as the dismissal of education and the prioritization of labor. As the

prominent Richard R. Valencia and Mary S. Black (2002) put it:

[these] newly credentialed individuals with their master’s degree failed to acknowledge

the forces and conditions that likely created obstacles for [Latino] parents to fully express

their appreciation for and value of education ― for example… language barriers, and the

need for their children to contribute economically to the household due to exploitative

arrangements the parents faced in the world of work.” (p. 85)

Not all parents want to deprive their children of higher education, but they have no

choice, especially if they financially support others, including family in other countries, which is
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prominent in the Latino community. As a result of these economic conditions, some Latino

families tend to enforce the idea that working full-time is of greater value and significance when

compared to studying and earning a degree.

Opinion

In the United States, pursuing higher education is essential to find a well-paying job,

especially in high-demand areas such as Los Angeles. However, Latino residents in the United

States are hindered from college educations owing to external factors, discrediting the theory of

deficit thinking in the preceding context. Family, money, and school systems must be held

accountable for discouraging academic motivation among Latino students, specifically those

coming from urban students. Various studies, such as those cited in this research paper, support

the notion that Latino students are not at fault for dropping out of high school and college.

Conclusion

It is seen and proved time and time again that Latinos are able to overcome economic

struggles through financial aid, if applicable, while also breaking familial barriers and roles to

achieve greater success. One possibility, however, to eliminate Latino struggles that repress

college-level education is through federal and systematic change, uplifting minority

representation in high paid positions such as CEOs of large companies or political positions such

as senators, eventually leading to presidency. The first step to truly encourage value of education

in the Latino community is to pave the path and induce higher education for the youth. Society

cannot expect change to happen if they do not want to work for it. The youth is the future of not

only this country, but of the world. If they are not allowed to succeed, who is going to run the

world?
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References

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News & World Report​. U.S. News & World Report.

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ndicators/high-school-dropout-rates/

Data Desk, Los Angeles Times. (2017). "Median Income." ​Los Angeles Times​. Leaflet. http://ma

ps.latimes.com/neighborhoods/income/median/neighborhood/list/

Marrero, F.A. (2016). "Barriers to School Success for Latino Students." ​Journal of Education

and Learning.​ 5.2.180.

Nora, A.,Crisp, G. (2009). "Hispanics and Higher Education: An Overview of Research,Theory,

and Practice." ​Edim​.

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Research Center​. Pew Research Center. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/07/

01/racial-gender-wage-gaps-persist-in-u-s-despite-some-progress/

PBS. (2012). "The Role of Parents." ​PBS​. Public Broadcasting Service.

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Latino High School Youth." ​PSU College of Education.

http://www.cibhs.org/sites/main/f

iles/file-attachments/learning_and_motivational_characteristics_of_urban_hs.pdf

Ruiz, B. (2013). ​The Graduates/Los Graduados​. Independent Lens. DVD.

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Latino Students' College Experience." ​Center for Postsecondary Research, Indiana

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Superiority" ​FlaglerLive​. https://flaglerlive.com/20876/pt-us-superiority-laziness/

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