¡Sí, Se Puede! Yes, We Can: Latinas in School,
by Angela Ginorio and Michelle Huston (2000)



U.S. schools are not meeting the educational needs of America's fastest-growing female minority population--Latinas--according to a new report released today by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Educational Foundation.

This comprehensive report, ¡Si, Se Puede! Yes, We Can: Latinas in School, reviews the educational (K-12) status and progress of Latinas. It explores the cultural interaction between America's Hispanic children and the schools they attend. Authored by Angela B. Ginorio and Michelle Huston, the report looks at Latinas and how their futures--or "possible selves"--are influenced by their families, their culture, their peers, their teachers, and the media.

The report found that Latinas bring many personal strengths and cultural resources to the schools they attend. For them to become successful, the report contends, schools need to view bilingualism and other values as assets rather than liabilities. For example, "going away to college" is often a high school counselor's definition of success, but some Latinas, because of family responsibilities, believe it is important to stay close to home.

"Instead of making all students fit into a single educational box, schools need to move out of the box to meet the needs of its changing student population," said AAUW Executive Director Jacqueline Woods.

In spite of the importance of education to the Latino community, family needs and peer pressure often clash with school expectations for Latinas. For example, the report finds that "many Latinas face pressure about going to college from boyfriends and fiances who expect their girlfriends or future wives not to be 'too educated' and from peers who accuse them of 'acting White' when they attempt to become better educated or spend time on academics."

"Contrary to popular beliefs about Hispanic communities," said Ginorio, "most parents hope that their children will excel in school, yet Latino families' economic and social position often defer the realization of those dreams. Moreover, school practices such as tracking impose low expectations that create self-fulfilling prophecies."

According to the report, Latinas are lagging behind other racial and ethnic groups of girls in several key measures of educational achievement and have not benefited from gender equity to the extent that other groups of girls have. Analyzing the differences in educational achievement between Latinas and other groups of girls, the report finds that

The high school graduation rate for Latinas is lower than for girls in any other racial or ethnic group.

Latinas are less likely to take the SAT exam than their White or Asian counterparts, and those who do score lower on average than those groups of girls.

Compared with their female peers, Latinas are under-enrolled in Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) courses and underrepresented in AP courses.

Latinas are the least likely of any group of women to complete a bachelor's degree.

Although Latinas fare worse than other racial and ethnic groups of girls on most measures of educational performance, they perform better than their male peers on many measures. In reviewing educational data comparing Latinas to Latinos, the report finds that

In the fourth grade, Latinas score higher than Latinos in reading and history; by eighth grade, they score higher in mathematics and reading; and by the 12th grade, they score higher in science and reading.
Latinas outnumber Latinos in taking the SAT exam (58 percent to 42 percent in 1999), yet score lower than Latinos who do take the exam on both the math and verbal section. The gender gap among Hispanics is greater than among any other group.

Latinas take the same number of or more AP exams than Latinos, but score lower in AP math and science exams.

Latinas are almost three times less likely to be suspended and less likely to be referred for special education as Latinos.

According to the report, Hispanic girls and boys suffer similar educational challenges in the schools they attend compared to their White and Asian counterparts, and urges schools to pay closer attention to the problems faced by both Latinas and Latinos. The report also notes variations within the Latina community according to culture of origin and region.

"America's public schools must address the psychological, social, cultural, and community factors that affect the education of Hispanic students," said Woods. "Otherwise, Latinas and Latinos will too often continue to be victims of a second-rate education that can change the American dream into a nightmare. We rely on our schools to open the doors for Latinas and Latinos to higher education and better paying jobs."

The report provides clear and compelling evidence that both Latinas and Latinos face stereotyping and other obstacles that discourage success in school. Some obstacles are different for Latinas than for Latinos. Latinas are three times as likely to fear for their personal safety in school as other girls. And Latinos are often assumed to be gang members by teachers and counselors simply because they speak Spanish.

"If we want Latinas to succeed as other groups of girls have," continued Ginorio, "schools need to work with and not against their families and communities and the strengths that Latinas bring to the classroom. We need to recognize cultural values and help Latinas harmonize these values with girls' aspirations to education and learning."

The report offers a number of strong recommendations and new approaches:

All adults need to encourage academic success. Latinas need to hear from all the adults in their lives that college and professional careers are rewarding options and ones that they can achieve. Advisors must curtail tendencies to promote gender- and racially stereotyped careers as well as ensure that Latinas are not under-represented in college-preparatory classes.

Recruit and train teachers from the Hispanic community so that we can have educators who can serve as role models and who can better connect the educational goals of the school to the cultural background of its students.

Involve the whole family in the process of college preparation. College requirements need to be demystified and families need to understand longer-term benefits of attending college even if it means moving away from home.

Deal meaningfully with stereotypes and societal issues such as teen pregnancy that impact school performance. This includes offering childcare and alternative scheduling and therefore recognizing that being a young mother and a student intent on completing her education are not incompatible.

State-specific data is available for Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, New Mexico, New York, and Texas.

http://www.aauw.org/research/latina.cfm