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Ensuring The Success of Latino Males in Higher Education A National Imperative 1St Edition Victor B Saenz Online Ebook Texxtbook Full Chapter PDF
Ensuring The Success of Latino Males in Higher Education A National Imperative 1St Edition Victor B Saenz Online Ebook Texxtbook Full Chapter PDF
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E N S U R I N G T H E S U C C E S S O F L AT I N O
M A L E S I N H I G H E R E D U C AT I O N
ENSURING THE SUCCESS
OF LATINO MALES IN
HIGHER EDUCATION
A National Imperative
STERLING, VIRGINIA
COPYRIGHT © 2016 BY
STYLUS PUBLISHING, LLC.
Bulk Purchases
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
We dedicate this book to our families for their enduring support.
Victor B. Sáenz would like to express his thanks and gratitude to the Sáenz
family, especially his loving wife, Erica Sáenz, and their son, Victor Agustin
“Augie” Sáenz. He also thanks his parents, Benito and Adoracion Sáenz, for
being the best parents a young Latino boy could hope for, and his siblings and
extended Sáenz and Gonzalez families.
Luis Ponjuán expresses his thanks to his immediate family, Lurel and Davis
Ponjuán, as well as his parents, Luis and Martha Ponjuán.
Julie López Figueroa extends her thanks to the entire Figueroa family, especially
her loving parents, Macedonio and Maria Figueroa.
We also dedicate this book to all Latino males . . . young boys, young men,
fathers, immigrants, laborers, and leaders. For those who have lost sight of their
educational path, our hope is that you regain your footing and find your way.
Our community needs you.
CONTENTS
FOREWORD xi
William Serrata
PREFACE xv
Victor B. Sáenz
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xxi
4. (RE)CONSTRUCTING MASCULINITY 60
Understanding Gender Expectations Among Latino
Male College-Going Students
Julie López Figueroa, Patricia A. Pérez, and Irene I. Vega
vii
viii CONTENTS
Index 231
FOREWORD
S
áenz and Ponjuán (2009) characterized it best when they wrote in their
seminal piece that Latino male college students are effectively vanishing
from American postsecondary institutions. Hyperbole aside, we know
that three out of every five degrees (i.e., associate’s or bachelor’s) earned by
Hispanics are earned by females (Sáenz & Ponjuán, 2011). Such dispari-
ties in degree attainment are growing across all critical junctures within
the education pipeline, and recent attention from institutional leaders and
policymakers finally mirrors years of concern from educational leaders about
this persistent gender gap in educational attainment. This gap is especially
a cause for concern when you consider the changing demographics of our
country to one that is increasingly Latina/o.
In Texas, where I serve as a community college president for one of the
largest community college districts in the state, colleges and universities have
been focused on bridging gaps at these critical junctures by reaching pre-
scribed targets for higher education participation and success outlined in
the state’s Closing the Gaps benchmarks. In recent revisions to this plan
(Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, 2010), the state explicitly
highlighted the importance of improving participation and success rates for
Latino males and African American males across the educational pipeline.
Indeed, for years our state has spotlighted the urgency of this issue and ele-
vated it to the level of state policy imperative. At the federal level, President
Obama’s recent launch of the My Brother’s Keeper initiative is a commend-
able step forward in elevating this issue to the level of national policy impera-
tive (White House, 2014).
These state and national imperatives establish a clear urgency and legiti-
macy for focusing our efforts on males of color in education. However, in
order to “move the needle” for male student success we need to act locally.
This book comes at an opportune time, a time when higher education lead-
ers, policymakers, and practitioners need access to the most current research,
expertise, and guidance on this critical subpopulation of students. With its
focus on theory, emerging research, and best practices, this edited volume
is a timely resource for local, state, and national stakeholders committed to
improving educational outcomes for Latino males. This book represents a wel-
come contribution that will enhance our understanding of this complex issue,
xi
xii FOREWORD
and ignite a sincere attempt to spark greater awareness and dialogue about this
fast-growing and increasingly important segment of our national population.
A Call to Action
I realize that I have been blessed to have a career within the walls of higher
education, for it is truly a noble profession. As college and university practi-
tioners and leaders, we have the ability to facilitate the educational journey
for thousands of students as a means to fulfill their potential in today’s knowl-
edge society. A large majority of Latino male students are first-generation col-
lege students, and their access and success at our institutions may potentially
impact their entire family and thus have generational impact. Such was the
case for my personal story within higher education, which began nearly 30
years ago. As a result of my struggles, trials, and tribulations, coupled with
some ultimate triumphs as a college student, my three siblings, two of whom
are Latino males, and I have collectively garnered 11 postsecondary degrees.
The knowledge I gained provided a smoother pathway for my younger sib-
lings to succeed. My hope is that my experiences in higher education will
in turn provide the same smooth pathway for my two sons—who are also
Latino males.
Prior to having the honor of leading El Paso Community College, the
first 18 years of my career were spent working within and leading a division
of student affairs and enrollment management. Student affairs and enroll-
ment management professionals are uniquely positioned to have a positive
impact on Latino males’ access and success in higher education. Student
affairs staff serve as a bridge for students to and from our colleges and univer-
sities, as both the recruitment process and the graduation process are usually
housed in this respective division. Ensuring that the initiatives led by student
affairs encompass a focus on Latino males is a prominent start to address
their access and success in our institutions.
As a higher education leader I propose the following actions at your
respective college or university in order to address this growing state and
national imperative.
demographic state. The data should and must be shared with institutional
leaders and decision makers in order to develop an understanding and
college-wide strategy/action plan to impact Latino males. These data should
be produced and reviewed on a semester basis, and corresponding bench-
marks, targets, and milestones should be developed and tracked by senior
leadership. A note of caution for senior leaders: A focus on Latino males
should not be at the expense of any other student population—that is, this
should be in addition to and not in place of other student initiatives. This is
particularly important in regard to female and especially Latina initiatives. As
the editors of this volume have noted, this is not a zero-sum context.
William Serrata
President
El Paso Community College
xiv FOREWORD
References
Sáenz, V. B., & Ponjuán, L. (2009). The vanishing Latino male in higher
education. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 8(1), 54–89. doi:10.1177/
1538192708326995
Sáenz, V. B., & Ponjuán, L. (2011). Men of color: Ensuring the academic success of
Latino males in higher education. Washington, DC: Institute of Higher Education
Policy. Retrieved from http://www.ihep.org/assets/files/publications/m-r/%28
Brief%29_Men_of_Color_Latinos.pdf
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. (2010). Closing the gaps progress
report 2010. Retrieved from http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/reports/DocFetch
.cfm?DocID=2045&Format=PDF
The White House. (2014). My Brother’s Keeper. Retrieved from https://www.white
house.gov/my-brothers-keeper
PREFACE
Victor B. Sáenz
I
n February 2014 President Barack Obama launched My Brother’s
Keeper, a national initiative enlisting the support of public and private
entities and aimed at improving educational and life outcomes for boys
and young men of color. For too long we have belabored the sobering data
that point to a persistent gender gap in educational attainment for males of
color, a narrative that often includes social critiques of the school-to-prison
pipeline, mass incarceration, and overrepresentation in the special education
ranks and the school discipline pipeline. President Obama’s initiative is a
welcome step forward, one that seeks to change the tenor of conversation
and thus the narrative from hand-wringing to collective action. This initia-
tive has brought together public and private organizations, school districts,
city leaders, community activists, scholars, students and families, and phil-
anthropic organizations that have pledged a long-term commitment. This
commitment is to support actionable next steps as well as promising research
and best practices that could ensure the success of boys and young men of
color across the country. President Obama’s avowed support comes at a criti-
cal time in this burgeoning movement, one that is clearly being elevated to
the level of national policy imperative.
Our new book, Ensuring the Success of Latino Males in Higher Education:
A National Imperative, also comes at a critical time, a time when national,
state, and local conversations are expanding the definition of males of color
to include Latino males and other historically marginalized groups of male
students. The chapters within this book on Latino males collectively repre-
sent a timely and necessary contribution to these conversations. The shifting
demographic reality represented by the growth of the Latina/o community
also gives our focus on Latino males a singular urgency.
xv
xvi PREFACE
this book and catalogued along the three dimensions of theory, research,
and practice. Through the contributions of emerging scholars and seasoned
practitioners, we share new research on factors that inhibit or promote
Latino male student success at 4-year institutions, community colleges,
and secondary institutions in order to inform both policy and practice
across the education continuum. Some chapters explore the social-cultural
factors, peer dynamics, and labor force demands that may be perpetuating
the persistent gender gap in educational attainment for Latino males, and
they consider what lessons can be learned from research on the success
of Latinas. Other chapters closely examine key practices that enable first-
generation Latino male undergraduates to succeed, practices that may seem
counterintuitive to institutional expectations and preconceived notions of
student behavior.
Chapters within this book also explore the role of family in persistence.
They outline how Latino men fulfill family and academic expectations and
thus negotiate the sometimes emasculating educational process. The chap-
ters also examine how males confront racialization in the pursuit of a higher
education, uncover attitudes to help-seeking that are detrimental to these
students’ success, and analyze how those who succeed and progress in college
apply their social capital—whether aspirational, navigational, social, linguis-
tic, familial, or resistant.
While uncovering the lack of awareness at varying levels of our colleges
and universities about the depth and severity of the challenges facing Latino
males, this book provides the foundation for rethinking institutional policy,
programming, and practice, and it further challenges leaders to institutional-
ize male-focused programs and services. A few chapters within the book also
present data to inform needed changes in practice for outreach and retention.
Regardless of how contributors position their work in terms of policy, theory,
research, and practice, all contributors were asked to specifically highlight
implications for policy and/or practice. In other words, our goal is to broker
and enlist greater support in addressing the Latino male crisis in higher educa-
tion and ultimately inspire action from a variety of educational stakeholders.
There have been other books in recent years that focus on males’
educational experiences in higher education and especially African American
males’ experiences (Harper, 2013; Harper & Harris, 2010), but less is known
about the educational experiences of Latino males in education. Noguera,
Hurtado, and Fergus (2012) published an important book that focused
explicitly on Latino males, and it included a discussion of the various issues
affecting Latinos from multiple disciplinary perspectives (e.g., health care,
prisons, education). Rios (2011) published a book on the overpolicing and
hypercriminalization of Black and Latino male youth in an era of mass
PREFACE xvii
out Latino male students from schools and into alternative pathways besides
postsecondary participation. Ponjuán’s chapter 2 explores the high school
context for this growing gender gap in educational attainment. More specifi-
cally, this chapter describes how structural and gender inequalities remain
pervasive in American schools and society, and how they especially affect the
educational pathways for Latino males in high school.
The second section of the book posits several theories that can be applied
to examining Latino males in higher education. To better grasp what is actu-
ally happening for Latino males, Figueroa’s chapter 3 works from a perspec-
tive that academic success is a socially mediated experience rather than solely
a story of resilience. This chapter puts forth a conceptual framework, geog-
raphy of academic support, to discuss the educational vulnerabilities as well
as elevate some of the academic practices that enable first-generation Latino
male undergraduates to pursue a higher education. Employing the geography
of academic support, Figueroa, Pérez, and Vega’s chapter 4 focuses on Latino
male academic narratives, utilizing case studies to underscore how variations
of Latino masculinity are constructed and reconstructed in academic spaces
in the quest to pursue a postsecondary education. In addition to investi-
gating how Latino men conceptualize fulfilling expectations, the chapter
explores how males negotiate the emasculation of the educational process
and confront racialization in the pursuit of a higher education. Moving us
toward discussions of retention and outreach, Cabrera, Rashwan-Soto, and
Valencia’s chapter 5 extends our understanding of how help-seeking behav-
iors are linked to the Latino male lived experience of intersectionality. Their
research is a critical examination of the experiences of Latino men during
their freshman year at a single university. We learn through their research
that tendencies to become overly self-reliant, difficulty asking for help, and
methods of enacting Latino masculinity most often conflict with their learn-
ing environments.
The third section of the book highlights research that examines prepara-
tion, persistence, and success for Latino males in secondary and postsecond-
ary education. Expanding research on high-achieving Latino males, chapter
6, by Fajardo, Hernandez, and Muñoz, explores Latino males’ high school
math achievement and the influential role of psychosociocultural factors in
their academic success. This is the second chapter in this book that utilizes
the new longitudinal dataset, the High School Longitudinal Study from the
National Center for Education Statistics. In chapter 7, Ojeda and Castillo
enlist a mixed-methods approach to identify factors that affect Latino male
college persistence. The authors report that parental encouragement signifi-
cantly impacts how Latino males relate to college persistence. In chapter 8,
Pérez builds from the previous chapter, channeling his work through Yosso’s
PREFACE xix
Summary
This book is an ambitious attempt to spark greater awareness and dialogue
about Latino males, a fast-growing and increasingly important segment of
our national population. It synthesizes the perspectives of new and emerging
voices, including graduate students, academics, administrative profession-
als, and higher education leaders. The contributing authors paint a complex
portrait of the many factors that contribute to the educational experiences
of Latino males in elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education.
This book represents a commitment to better understand the Latino male
xx PREFACE
References
Campos, D. (2012). Educating Latino boys: An asset-based approach. Thousand Oaks,
CA: Corwin.
Fergus, E., Noguera, P., & Martin, M. (2014). Schooling for resilience: Improving the
life trajectory of Black and Latino boys. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Harper, S. R. (2013). Am I my brother’s teacher? Black undergraduates, racial social-
ization, and peer pedagogies in predominantly White postsecondary contexts.
Review of Research in Education, 37(1), 183–211.
Harper, S. R., & Harris, F., III. (2010). College men and masculinities: Theory,
research, and implications for practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Noguera, P., Hurtado, A., & Fergus, E. (2012). Invisible no more: Understanding the
disenfranchisement of Latino men and boys. New York, NY: Routledge.
Rios, V. M. (2011). Punished: Policing the lives of Black and Latino boys. New York:
New York University Press.
Yosso, T. J. (2005). Whose culture has capital? A critical race theory discussion of
community cultural wealth. Race Ethnicity and Education, 8(1), 69–91.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
M
any individuals have shaped and contributed to this important
book, and we would be remiss to not properly acknowledge their
guidance and support. In the time we have spent conceptualizing
the book, inviting authors, and organizing their contributions, several nota-
ble colleagues have had a direct hand in guiding our way.
We would like to thank all of our amazing contributing authors with-
out whose work this book would not have been possible: Tracy Arámbula
Ballysingh, Nolan L. Cabrera, Linda G. Castillo, Miguel A. Ceja, Jennifer
Estrada, Ismael Fajardo, Kelty Garbee, José M. Hernandez, José Muñoz,
Lizette Ojeda, David Pérez II, Patricia A. Pérez, Katie Ortego Pritchett,
Fatemma D. Rashwan-Soto, Sarah Rodriguez, William Serrata, Bryant G.
Valencia, and Irene I. Vega.
We would like to acknowledge the American Association of Hispanics
in Higher Education (AAHHE) and the Texas Guaranteed Student Loan
Corporation (TG) for their initial support of our research efforts begin-
ning in 2007. AAHHE and TG jointly commissioned our very first research
paper on Latino males in higher education, and we are forever grateful and
indebted to their inspiration and support. In particular, we thank Dr. Louis
Olivas, Dr. William Aguilar, the AAHHE board of directors, and Mr. Jacob
Fraire for their support.
A special acknowledgment is necessary for President William Serrata of
El Paso Community College. President Serrata is a dynamic higher educa-
tion leader, and he has been a consistent source of support for our growing
“research to practice” efforts on behalf of Latino males in Texas higher educa-
tion. Similarly, we have had several colleagues from various state and national
policy organizations who have provided helpful comments and feedback.
At the national level these include Dr. Michelle Asha Cooper, Institute for
Higher Education Policy; Dr. Lorelle Espinosa, American Council on Edu-
cation; Marco Davis, White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for
Hispanics; and Dr. Ron Williams, president emeritus of Prince George’s
Community College and formerly of the College Board. At the state pol-
icy level we have been supported by Dr. Raymund Paredes, commissioner
of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB); Dr. Judith
Loredo, assistant commissioner (THECB); Dr. David Gardner, deputy
xxi
xxii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I N T RO D U C T I O N A N D
C O N T E X T- S E T T I N G : L AT I N O
MALES IN K–12 AND HIGHER
E D U C AT I O N
1
CURRENT TRENDS AND
FUTURE OUTLOOKS ON THE
P E RVA S I V E G E N D E R G A P I N
E D U C A T I O N A L A T TA I N M E N T
F O R L AT I N O M A L E S
Victor B. Sáenz, Luis Ponjuán, and Julie López Figueroa
T
he educational future for our nation’s Latino1 male student population
is in a state of peril. Even as the number of Hispanics attending col-
lege and attaining degrees has increased steadily in recent years (Fry &
Lopez, 2012), the proportional representation of Latino males continues to lag
behind that of their female peers (Sáenz & Ponjuán, 2009). Latino males have
some of the lowest high school graduation rates as well as some of the lowest
college enrollment and completion rates of any subgroup. In 2012, more than
60% of all associate’s or bachelor’s degrees earned by Hispanics were earned
by female students, and this degree attainment gap is only growing wider
(National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2013). What we know can
be summed up succinctly: Latino males are not keeping pace relative to their
male and female peers at key transition points along the education pipeline—
at high school graduation, at college entry, and at college completion. Indeed,
the gender gap in educational attainment for Latino males can be described
from a variety of sobering perspectives. This growing gap—a trend also evident
within other racial/ethnic groups—has untold implications for public policy
and educational practice, especially given the emerging demographic reality
driven by high population growth within the Latina/o community.
The purpose of this chapter is simple: Document the growing gender
gap in educational attainment for Latino males and set the context for other
3
4 INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT-SETTING
chapters within this book. The urgency to better understand this subgroup
of students is even greater when considering the demographic reality for this
community as well as the dearth of research on Latino males in education.
Given the ongoing demographic shifts that point to a younger, more Latino
labor force, this population of young males represents the fastest-growing
employment pool yet the most underutilized intellectual talent pool (Sáenz
& Ponjuán, 2009). America’s human capital capacity and global competi-
tiveness will be increasingly dependent on this growing segment of the
population (Maldonado & Farmer, 2006). Ultimately, these trends could
undermine Latino males’ ability to fulfill the critical economic and social
roles that are keys to secure and prosperous families and communities.
In sum, this introductory chapter accounts for key differences at criti-
cal educational junctures in early childhood, primary, and secondary school
experiences between boys and girls, as such experiences can ultimately mani-
fest themselves in ways that may be perpetuating the current Latino gen-
der gap in educational attainment. We explore current data as well as the
factors that can facilitate college access and degree attainment for Latino
males, and we also delve into alternative pathways that may be diverting
college-age Latino males from higher education and into less desirable life/
career opportunities. Subsequent chapters present innovative theoretical and
empirical perspectives, and our concluding chapter makes a case for proac-
tive and collaborative action on Latino male student success. Ultimately, as
established in the preface, this book presents a variety of policy, research, and
practitioner perspectives that can serve as a road map to shape future progress
on the growing gender gap in educational attainment for Latino males in
secondary and postsecondary education.
worry that too much attention to these challenges may detract from the many
advances made by young women within our educational systems (Crosnoe
et al., 2008) as well as the advances that have yet to be made.
This is not to suggest that the long-term success of female students has
been assured or that it has come at the expense of male students. Structural
and gender inequalities remain pervasive in America’s schools and our soci-
ety, so much so that a disparity in pay—the wage gap—is evident to this
day (AAUW, 2015). Nonetheless, when we conjoin the growing gender gap
with the persistent educational attainment gap between Latinas/os and other
racial/ethnic groups in this country, the sobering educational reality facing
Latino males is cause for concern. The dual questions of why Latino males
are not keeping pace in accessing and succeeding in higher education and
what it could portend in the long term lie at the heart of this introductory,
context-setting chapter. In order to fully understand why Latino males are
disproportionately not keeping pace within our higher education system, we
first begin with a look at the early, primary, and secondary schooling experi-
ences.
TABLE 1.1
Percentage of the Population 3 and 4 Years Old Enrolled in School
Male Female
Year White Black Latino White Black Latina
1980 39.2 36.4 30.1 35.5 40.0 26.6
1990 47.9 38.1 28.0 46.6 45.5 33.6
2000 54.1 58.0 31.9 55.2 61.8 40.0
2009 54.9 58.1 39.4 56.2 58.8 44.4
Note. Includes enrollment in any type of graded public, parochial, or other private school. Includes
nursery schools, kindergartens, elementary schools, high schools, colleges, universities, and professional
schools. Attendance may be on either a full-time or part-time basis and during the day or night. Adapted
from the Digest of Education Statistics (NCES, 2013).
that shapes the course of his or her entire schooling career. Gurian and Ste-
vens (2005) suggest that boys are being educated within a system that is gen-
erally unaware of the potential mismatch of the male learning style in current
educational practices. They note that boys are an average of a year to a year
and a half behind girls in reading and writing skills. Consequently, most boys
in grades 4 through 8 are twice as likely as girls to be held back a grade, and
the rate is even higher for boys of color (Shaffer & Gordon, 2006). Table 1.2
examines these trends across the entire public school educational pipeline
(K–12); the data show that 12.4% of Hispanic males and 25.6% of Black
males have repeated at least one grade.
Differential rates of suspension and expulsion for Hispanic and Black
males are also cause for concern. This issue has received renewed national
attention as part of President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) initiative
launched in 2014 (The White House, 2015). The MBK initiative has helped
to shed light on such trends at the national level that point to a dispropor-
tionate adjudication of social promotion and school discipline policies. This
national dialogue is definitely a good start, and the hope is that it leads to
transformative change at the local level, where educators and school districts
can begin to take a hard look at their own school discipline data on suspen-
sion and expulsion rates for young males of color.
TABLE 1.2
Percentage of Public School Students Who Have Repeated a Grade, Been
Suspended, or Been Expelled by Race/Ethnicity and Gender, 2007
Race/ethnicity Total Male Female
% in K–12 who have repeated a grade
Totala 11.5 13.9 8.9
White 8.7 11.2 6.1
Black 20.9 25.6 15.3
Hispanic 11.8 12.4 11.1
Asian 3.5 6.5 0.0
% in grades 6–12 who have ever been suspended
Totala 21.6 27.9 14.9
White 15.6 21.3 9.7
Black 42.8 49.5 34.7
Hispanic 21.9 29.6 14.1
Asian 10.8 14.9 ‡
% in grades 6–12 who have ever been expelled
Totala 3.4 4.5 2.3
White 1.0 1.3 0.7
Black 12.8 16.6 8.2
Hispanic 3.0 3.1 2.9
b b b
Asian
Note. All data are based on parent reports. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity.
a
Total includes other race/ethnicity categories not separately shown. Source: Herrold, K., & O’Donnell,
K. (2008). Parent and family involvement in education, 2006–07 School Year, From the National Household
Education Surveys Program of 2007 (NCES 2008-050). Washington, DC: National Center for Education
Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.
b
Reporting standards not met.
data at the undergraduate postbaccalaureate level for all students and more
specifically for Latino male and female students. These data suggest signifi-
cant changes in enrollment patterns across gender during this time period,
patterns that illustrate the persistent gender gap in postsecondary enrollment
at undergraduate and postbaccalaureate levels. Since about the early 1980s,
proportionally fewer males relative to their female peers have been enroll-
ing at each level, a consistent gap that is also evident among other students.
In fall 2013, Hispanic males represented 42.6% of all Hispanics enrolled
TABLE 1.3
Number (in Thousands) and Percentage of Students Enrolled in Undergraduate and Postbaccalaureate Institutions
(1976–2013) 1976 1980 1990 2000 2010 2013
All male 4,896.8 4,997.4 5,379.8 5,778.3 7,836.3 7,659.6
52.0% 47.7% 45.0% 43.9% 43.3% 43.8%
All female 4,522.1 5,471.7 6,579.3 7,377.1 10,246.1 9,815.2
48.01% 52.27% 55.02% 56.08% 56.66% 56.17%
Undergraduate
Total 9,418.9 10,469.1 11,959.1 13,155.4 18,082.4 17,474.8
enrollment
Hispanic male 191.7 211.2 326.9 582.6 1,082.9 1,222.9
54.3% 48.8% 45.1% 43.1% 42.5% 42.6%
Hispanic female 161.2 221.8 397.6 768.4 1,468.1 1,647.2
45.69% 51.22% 54.88% 56.88% 57.55% 57.39%
Hispanic total 352.9 433.0 724.5 1,351.0 2,551.0 2,870.1
All male 897.6 870.7 904.2 943.5 1,209.5 1,201.2
57.3% 53.8% 48.6% 43.7% 41.2% 41.4%
Postbaccalaureate
All female 669.1 747.0 955.4 1,213.4 1,727.5 1,699.8
enrollment
42.71% 46.18% 51.38% 56.26% 58.82% 58.59%
Total 1,566.7 1,617.7 1,859.6 2,156.9 2,937.0 2,901.0
Hispanic male 18.1 20.4 27.0 44.5 74.7 83.6
58.46% 52.72% 46.66% 40.19% 37.76% 37.83%
Postbaccalaureate
Hispanic female 12.8 18.3 30.9 66.3 123.1 137.4
enrollment
41.5% 47.3% 53.3% 59.8% 62.2% 62.2%
Hispanic total 30.9 38.7 57.9 110.8 197.8 221.0
Note. Adapted from “Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS): Fall Enrollment in Colleges and Universities,” by U.S. Department of Education, 1976 and
1980, National Center for Education Statistics; “Fall Enrollment Survey” (IPEDS-EF:90), by Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System; and “Spring 2001 Through
Spring 2014: Enrollment,” by Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (NCES, 2014).
10 INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT-SETTING
High school completion Hispanic males 57.0 56.6 55.7 59.2 63.2 65.7 72.4
or higher (25 to 29 Hispanic females 58.9 59.9 58.7 66.4 63.4 74.1 77.4
years old) Total U.S. population 85.4 85.7 86.8 88.1 86.2 88.8 90.8
Hispanic males 8.4 7.3 7.8 8.3 10.2 10.8 12.4
BA degree or higher (25
Hispanic females 6.9 9.1 10.1 11.0 12.4 16.8 18.3
to 29 years old)
Total U.S. population 22.5 23.2 24.7 29.1 28.8 31.7 34.0
Note. Adapted from “U.S. Census of Population: 1960, Vol. I, Part 1,” by U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau; “Education of the American Population,” by J. K.
Folger and C. B. Nam, 1960; “Current Population Reports, Series P–20,” by U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, various years; and “Current Population Survey
(CPS),” by U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, March 1970 through March 2014 (NCES, 2014).
12 INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT-SETTING
100,000 100%
90%
80,000 80%
1%
9%
70%
9%
6%
6%
7%
1%
9%
61.
60.
4%
60.
60.
# of BA Degrees
60.
6%
59.
59.
57.
56.
60,000 60%
5%
55.
50.
0%
60,742
50%
45.
40,000 40%
30%
20,000 20%
10%
0 0%
05
08
90
77
81
91
94
95
96
97
98
99
00
01
02
03
04
06
07
09
10
11
20
20
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
Hispanic males Hispanic females % of Hispanic female BAs
Note. Adapted from “Indicator 47,” The Condition of Education 2012 (NCES 2012-045), by U.S.
Department of Education, 2012, National Center for Education Statistics (Aud et al., 2012).
Figure 1.2 Associate’s (AA) and bachelor’s (BA) degrees earned by Hispanics by
gender, 2011.
61.2%
100,000
90,000
38.8%
80,000
# of Degrees
70,000
60,000
50,000
78,898
40,000 77,934
30,000 60,742
47,682
20,000
10,000
0
Hispanic Male AAs Hispanic Male BAs Hispanic Female AAs Hispanic Female BAs
Note. Adapted from U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2012.
(Aud et al., 2012).
THE PERVASIVE GENDER GAP IN EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT 13
emotional and behavioral disorders (Gurian & Stevens, 2005; Pollack, 1998).
This disturbing trend reflects one of the most long-standing critiques of spe-
cial education practice, namely, the disproportionate placement of students
of color in special education programs, referred to in the education literature
as “overrepresentation” (Ferri & Connor, 2005; Losen & Orfield, 2002).
Since the late 1960s, the U.S. Office of Civil Rights (OCR) has reported
the pervasive problem of overrepresentation of minority children in certain
disability categories (Artiles, Harry, Reschly, & Chinn, 2002; Ferri & Connor,
2005), and the disparities are even more pronounced for male students of color.
Parrish (2002) notes that Latino students are more likely than peers to be over-
represented in special education, and recent data suggest that they tend to be
especially overidentified during their high school years (Artiles, Rueda, Salazar,
& Higareda, 2002). This overrepresentation is even more pronounced among
Latino and Black males (Losen & Orfield, 2002; Sáenz & Ponjuán, 2009),
which makes their college pathways that much more difficult to navigate.
Disparities in promotion and suspension rates can be associated with
other forms of unhealthy behavior or misdiagnoses that could lead to missed
educational opportunities for males. For example, Latino and African Ameri-
can males are overrepresented in special education tracks, have dispropor-
tionately high rates of referrals to juvenile justice agencies (Justice Center,
2011), and have higher rates of dropping out of high school (Sáenz & Pon-
juán, 2009). Some of these trends may be an artifact of zero-tolerance disci-
pline policies that are the norm in many school districts, especially schools
within large urban areas (Skiba, 2000). In a recent study of school discipline
policies in Texas, researchers found that 83% of African American males and
74% of Hispanic males reported at least one discretionary violation between
grades 7 and 12, significantly higher rates than those for their female coun-
terparts (Justice Center, 2011). The same study also reported that suspended
or expelled students are almost three times more likely to be involved in the
juvenile justice system the following year. As noted earlier in this chapter, the
MBK initiative has sparked an important national dialogue on this issue—
and other issues—for young males of color. Left unresolved, these trends
may continue to push our boys of color into the pervasive school-to-prison
pipeline or simply push them out of schooling altogether. Either way, these
alternative pathways are potentially leading to limited economic and work-
force opportunities for Latino males.
stable, and are more hazardous to their health (Maldonado & Farmer, 2006).
The likelihood of Latino males being in this sector of the labor force is most
often a result of low educational attainment; decreased English language pro-
ficiency; and lack of work experience, training, and/or other employability
skills (“Deadly Trend,” 2002). Even though Latinos tend to enter the work-
force at an earlier age, being tracked into low-skill jobs decreases the opportu-
nities to gain work experiences that could lead to an upwardly mobile career
track, better pay, and lower-risk occupations (Maldonado & Farmer, 2006).
Higher participation rates in the workforce population are also prevalent for
college-age Latinos, especially for Latino males.
According to 2007 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, almost
half (46%) of the 3.4 million Latino males between the ages of 16 and 24
are employed full-time, compared to about a quarter (26%) of their Latina
counterparts. Latino males are about 10 percentage points above the national
average for all males within this age range (36%) (BLS, 2007). Moreover,
within the population that is counted among the civilian workforce, over
two thirds (70%) of Latino males are full-time employed, compared to just
over half (52%) of Latinas. The fact that such a high proportion of Latino
males report full-time employment reinforces the notion they are entering
the workforce at an earlier age than their counterparts.
Workforce pattern data also provide important insights into the alterna-
tive career pathways of college-age Latino males. For example, in the 2012
American Community Survey (ACS), Latino male workers have a lower rep-
resentation in management, professional, and related occupations (19.5%),
compared to the general population (31.0%), occupations that tend to
require a postsecondary education (U.S. Census Bureau, 2014). Similarly,
Latino males represent a lower proportion of white-collar positions in sales
and office occupations compared to the general U.S. population (14.1% and
17.9%, respectively). Conversely, Latino males occupy blue-collar employ-
ment positions (i.e., work positions that require manual labor) in greater
proportions compared to the general population. For instance, 26.8% of the
Latino male workforce (16 years and older) occupies positions in construc-
tion, maintenance, or repair, compared to 18.0% of the general population
of males in the workforce.
Lower-skilled occupations translate into lower overall median salaries for
Latino males as compared to the general population of males. According to
the 2006 ACS survey, the median earnings of full-time, year-round Latino
male workers was $27,490, compared to a median of $42,210 for the general
population of males. This earnings gap—representing a proportional differ-
ence of 53.5%—reflects a prodigious wage disparity that reveals the effects of
limited workforce opportunities for Latino males.
16 INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT-SETTING
Conclusion
The sobering statistics and realities for Latino males presented in this open-
ing chapter help set the context for the remainder of this book. In order for
Latino males to succeed along varied academic pathways, researchers, policy-
makers, public officials, private sector leaders, and Latino families and com-
munities must embrace a comprehensive and proactive agenda for change.
The authors are compelled to raise critical awareness of this issue across the
field of education and with institutional and policy leaders.
The educational and social challenges facing Latino males are real, yet
the issue remains somewhat ambiguous and unacknowledged in many policy
contexts. This is especially disconcerting given the far-reaching economic
and social consequences that this persistent gender gap could portend for
our nation’s future. From an economic perspective, the Latino gender gap
18 INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT-SETTING
Note
1. This chapter uses the terms Latino and Hispanic interchangeably. Unless otherwise
noted, all references to Whites and African Americans refer to non-Hispanics.
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20 INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT-SETTING
T
his chapter provides an exploratory analysis of the educational deci-
sions about higher education for young men of color from a nation-
ally represented high school survey. In particular, I present a detailed
examination of eleventh-grade young men in American high schools. The
findings provide a complex portrait of how Hispanic, African American,
Asian/Pacific Islander, and White males navigate the current American edu-
cational system toward a postsecondary education.
The pressing reality is that high school male students of color, and His-
panic males in particular, lag significantly behind their female peers in terms
of both college access and degree attainment (Aud et al., 2013). There are
numerous implications for the gender disparity in educational outcomes. In
the long term, this growing educational crisis weakens the nation’s ability to
utilize its potential human capital and ensure the success of its racially and
ethnically diverse families and communities (Perna, Chunyan Li, Walsh, &
Raible, 2010). Most recently, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2013) reports
that Hispanic males with only a high school degree compared to Hispanic
males with a bachelor’s degree or higher have almost double the unemploy-
ment rate. An initial step in understanding this complex issue is to explore
how Hispanic males develop their postsecondary academic plans during
their high school years. Therefore, the purpose of this chapter is to present
21
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