Latinos are the fastest-growing segment of the population in Illinois, as well as in the U.S. as a whole. They make up 14 percent of the state’s population, and about a quarter of the population in the Chicago metropolitan area. Yet despite notable progress, Latino students continue to lag behind the general population in educational attainment. Jorge Chapa, director of the UI’s Center on Democracy in a Multiracial Society, has done extensive research on Latino educational patterns, and is co-author of the book “Apple Pie & Enchiladas: Latino Newcomers in the Rural Midwest.” Chapa will speak to the Illinois Board of Higher Education on Oct. 10 about the educational barriers and opportunities faced by Latinos in Illinois and beyond.
What are some key misconceptions about the Latino population, especially as they relate to education?
The key misconception is that Latinos are all the same. Typically, they are assumed to all be impoverished and illegal recent immigrants from rural Mexico who speak little or no English, and who also do not value education. This perception is a major factor in determining where Latinos live, what work they can do, their privileges as citizens or residents, and the educational opportunities available to their children. The reality is far more complex. Some Latinos have ancestors who lived in what is now the U.S. for many generations. Others are immigrants from more than 20 Latin American countries. Among all Latinos, educational attainment levels range from doctoral degree recipients to those who are barely literate.
At each step on the educational ladder, from K-12 through higher education, Latinos drop out in greater numbers than the general population. What are the factors that contribute to this?
While noting there is much variation, many Latinos do come from backgrounds that make educational success more difficult. These backgrounds may include low income levels, single-parent families, lack of full English fluency, parents with low levels of education, and perhaps an expectation to contribute to the household well-being by earning money or providing childcare. Moreover, Latinos are highly concentrated in low-performing schools with low levels of funding, dilapidated infrastructures, fewer educational resources and less-experienced teachers.
One more factor is the level of racial harassment or discrimination often experienced by Latinos. As a result, many Latino students look at school as a painful and unpleasant experience that they would avoid if they could.
In higher education, lack of financial resources, unfamiliarity with the way higher education institutions work, and an unwarranted reliance on standardized tests all contribute to lower levels of Latino success.
What measures do you suggest should be taken to address these gaps? What practices have other states found to be effective?
At all educational levels, Latinos could be better served by teachers and professors who were better informed about Latinos in general and able to address some of their specific educational issues. They need guidance and mentoring from people who have a genuine interest in their success. At the undergraduate level, the universities of Texas and California have shown that admissions procedures that de-emphasize test scores increase the admission of Latinos and other under-represented students who can succeed. Both institutions also have shown that vigorous recruitment efforts that communicate specific information about required coursework, grade levels and other admission requirements can have a positive impact on enrollment.
Other than a concern for equity, what are some key reasons we should address these gaps?
Latinos are a large and growing part of our population and our workforce. They are an even larger concentration of our younger age groups, meaning those in school and in the entry ages of our workforce. My research and the research of many others has shown that if Latinos’ educational and income levels do not improve, our entire society will be worse off.
