Hispanic Students

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Ann Richards said it best, “Now we Democrats believe that America is still the country of fair play, that we can come out of a small town or a poor neighborhood and have the same chance as anyone else, and it doesn't matter whether we are black or Hispanic, or disabled or women” (Richards). Hispanics are held back from pursuing a college education due to their cultural norms, being thought of as unable to succeed academically, and a stereotypical reputation as laborers. There is a need for Hispanic professionals in all fields. Hispanic professors, doctors, lawyers, and scientists are essential to society. Hispanics are just as capable of academic success as any other race; they need to apply their vigorous work ethic to the pursuit of a college…show more content…
Unfortunately this reputation seems fair; this reputation is backed by alarming statistics. In her article, "Hispanics: A Diverse Population of Students to Influence the Landscape of Higher Education," Page talks about Hispanic adults in the U.S. having lower high school completion rates than adults of all other racial and ethnic groups. It is shocking to learn that only 62% of Hispanic adults aged 25 and over had completed high school or its equivalent in 2008 (Page 3). This isn’t necessarily due to Hispanic students being “too dumb” for school. Many Hispanics are conditioned throughout their childhood to believe that they are destined to make a living by performing manual labor. The blame should be partially placed on the parents of the students; it is not entirely a parenting wrongdoing, but rather a cultural problem. When the problem is an entire culture, it is difficult to become free of their thinking. The cultural values of Hispanic students come from the student’s country of origin. Generally, Hispanic countries tend to place less importance on education and more emphasis on working to help support family members. This indicates that Hispanic students are less likely to seek a general education. Furthermore, one may argue that there is no point in trying to help these students if they’re most likely going to end up working a laborious job; however, that should serve as

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