The Issue of Schools Failing Latinas

The Issue of Schools Failing Latinas

In a country where “all men are created equal”, there is something inequitable happening. Our public education system, which was established to give all citizens an impartial education, has failed. In the February 7th, 2001 edition of the San Diego Union Tribune, Annette Fuentes points out in her opinion article, “Our schools are failing young Latinas”, that there is a great iniquity with in the public education system. In many nationwide studies the same results have consistently come back – Latin-American females, or Latinas, are failing more than any other ethnic group. The studies state that 23% of Latinas are high school dropouts, and only 29% are college graduates, with only 5% graduating with a bachelor degree. Something is very wrong, and many are starting to turn the finger pointing from students to the public education system. In her article, Fuentes addresses many possibilities on the roots of this problem as well as many solutions. In my opinion, Fuentes is horrifyingly accurate in her description of this problem. Through my own experiences, it has become increasingly clear to me that the problem with Latinas failing is due to environment in which they live. The problem is not the students, the problem is the social and parental pressures, stereotypes, and the profound influence these pressures have upon their ability to learn.

Social pressures play a huge part in our everyday lives. We are puppets which are forced to do what society asks of us and limited by it’s standards. You have standards and expectations given to you by society before you are even born. Sadly, some of those standards are incorrect, and expectations much too low. The Latina group is one example of this social misdeed. The pressures that many Latinas bear come from friends and family. Their families believe it is time they got married and started a family instead of continuing on their education, and their friends believe that being smart is a flaw, that intellect shouldn’t be flaunted but instead buried. To take a nonconformist perspective and break this mold is social suicide that most do not have courage to face so they continue to live on content with what little society has offered them. This must end, and for it to end it the solution must be implemented beginning with schools. Teachers must encourage Latinas to work harder, to study more, to break the mold and reach their full potential.