The Latino Experience in the American Public Education System

Education has long been considered to be the primary enabler of social mobility and personal fulfillment. According to the Pew Research Center, the Hispanic population is the largest ethnic minority in the United States, and currently one in four students enrolled in public education are Latino. The purpose of this research is to review the Latino urban experience within American public schools from the 1960’s to the present. This study specifically examines urban and inner-city educational practices. It will refer principally to the literary works of Almost a Woman, by Esmeralda Santiago; Bodega’s Dream, by Ernesto Quiñónez; and Luis J. Rodriguez’s work, Always Running. These literary narratives are drawn from different Latino ethnic minorities, reflecting the authors’ educational experiences growing up in their respective neighborhoods. By evaluating these narratives, this research seeks to understand the educational formation of Latino youth, and how these experiences have shaped the inner-city Latino culture of the United States. The research will particularly focus upon the impacts of racial profiling, specific opportunities of advancement for Latino youth within public school systems, and government funding for urban education