Chicanos: An Equal Opportunity for Higher Education

Latinos are the most rapidly growing population group in the Unites States and now account for the Nation’s largest minority group. This creates a significant opportunity to move forward and grow into more than a typical stereotype. This paper will explore ways to ensure that Latinos can advance and work for the jobs that will lead the U.S. into the 21st century. The U.S. Census Bureau states that 17.8% of Latinos in 2016 graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher compared to Whites at 61.3%. The percentage of Latino students graduating from college of higher education is surprisingly low. Latinos have been underrepresented in undergraduate and graduate STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) programs and not being prepared in K-12 levels according to Schhneider and Ownes at the National Research Center for Education Statistics. Although Latino’s have the highest dropout rate they also have the highest school enrollment. This is despite the high school drop out rate being dramatically reduced since 2000 from 27.8% to as low as 9.2% in 2015. (U.S. Census Bureau, 2016) The rise in school enrollment is also due to Latino’s overall population growth in the United States. In this paper I will be using peer review journals and scholarly sources to assess the obstacles Chicanos endure throughout their educational objectives. The goal is to assure Latinos are being provided with the proper tools and access to resources that will allow them an equal opportunity to succeed