By DUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZThe Paz Files
AUSTIN, Texas - This story comes out of New York, but it could be any of a hundred other large U.S. cities. It seems, according to today's edition of The New York Times, that Mexicans are becoming more and more visible in the Big Apple, there alongside larger Hispanic communities from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. That is both good and not so good.
The newspaper's front page story tells the tale of failure by the Mexican newcomers to do what all Americans take for granted; that is, enroll and go to school. The Times story says most Mexicans do enroll, but they quickly drop out. Statistics listed by educators indicate as many as 41 percent of all Mexicans between the ages of 16 and 19 fail to graduate high school. Those that manage to find their way to the city's colleges chase the same trend.
In the age group of 19 to 23, only 6 percent are enrolled in college, adds the newspaper, citing census data.
It is, of course, nothing new. Dropping out of school is as much a part of the Mexican culture as is early pregnancy for its young females. I'm not telling you something altogether new.
So, why does the problem linger?
The Times notes that "many young illegal immigrants in New York City say there is no point in staying in school because their lack of legal status limits their access to college scholarships and employment opportunities. Some drop out under the erroneous belief that they are not eligible to attend college." In New York, undocumented immigrants who graduate from a high school or earn a G.E.D. are not only allowed to attend the state’s public university system, but are also eligible for in-state tuition, same as in Texas.
"They just give up," said Karina Sosa, 22, a Mexican-American undergraduate at Baruch College and an education activist told the newspaper.
Societal pressures hurt students of all ethnicities. Lack of tuition money in the home is often cited by Hispanic students, but there are ways to stick with it. Alienation plays a big part in a student's decision to leave school. Command of English, or a lack of it, also dooms young students, who give up when the subject matter becomes difficult to comprehend. It's historical. Texas educators have been fighting the dropout problems for decades. It's always Hispanic students at the top of the statistical data, always there above other ethnic groups.
Is there a solution?
The Chinese and the Italians and the Irish and most other waves of new immigrants to this country used to say they would catch up in ensuing generations. And they have.
The same can be said of Hispanics, but not a month passes when some major news publication does not print the latest story of under-achieving young Mexican students. The blame is placed on the same reasons (noted above), and the same professional educators are quoted as saying these students need tutors, encouragement and financial aid, blah, blah, blah.
One of these days, it'll be another, just-arrived ethnic group being highlighted for its failings.
For now, it is still Hispanics...
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10 comments:
It's a big problem in the Valley, too. Too many dropout kids doing nothing. You see them al over the place.
I was at the Crescent Bar in brownsville, the had some belly dancers persorming, some guy in a old gray suit was making a move on the women, they kicked him out, someone said it look like Rudolf Von Bulou.
He said, he thought it was a taqueria in Puerto Isabel, where ever that is.
The picture of the Puerto Rican woman Rudolf B/S around, looks like a street in Matamoros.
Puras mojadas, Bonner and Rudolf style.
The woman Von Bulow took for a ride, looks like a WallMart shopper, puro scrape.
(Bonner Style)
excelent article. Our public school suck because they ask so little of our students. Challenge them!
Juan Jones looks like the real deal. Looking forward to his articles. We need good sports reporting.
Excuse me, who are you trying to kid. I thought this guy was dead, killed and buried in the Houston area.
Paz-Martinez, you are playing games with your bloggers.
Juan Jones was killed about one year ago and burried somewhere around the Houston area, he was killed in Matamoros, at a Bordello by drug dealers.
Von Bulow, was scene in Brownsville buing a dark blue suit, at a Ropa usada store at 11th and Harrison. Who are these characters, is it posible, the editor hires people he can get away and not pay them regular wages, uuuhhhmmmmm, curious.
ALL:...We have corrected our error in posting the photo of new sportswiter LaCandrelle Jefferson. Earlier, we had posted a photo of former Tribune writer Juan Jones, who, as our readers noted, met a tragic end in Matamoros sometime last year. The Paz Files regrets the error... - Editor
El De Los Fresnos said...
excelent article. Our public school suck because they ask so little of our students. Challenge them!
Es puro pedo
Let's just take race out of the equation, and use the data that reflects the educational progress of the students here in Brownsville, Texas. Our students are more likely to drop out than say students from Richardson, Texas north of Dallas. Why is that the case; are our students dumber, do our students not value an education, are the schools not as good, are the teachers not as good? There could be a hundred other reasons why more of our students have a higher drop-out rate and perform below the Richardson, Texas students, now remember we have taken Race out of the equation.
The Richardson ISD District is located in Richardson, TX and includes 55 schools that serve 34,407 students in grades PK through 12.
The Brownsville ISD District is located in Brownsville, TX and includes 55 schools that serve 48,587 students in grades PK through 12.
The Richardson ISD District spends $8,106 per pupil in current expenditures. The district spends 65% on instruction, 31% on support services, and 4% on other elementary and secondary expenditures.
The Brownsville ISD District spends $8,659 per pupil in current expenditures. The district spends 60% on instruction, 34% on support services, and 6% on other elementary and secondary expenditures.
The Richardson ISD District had a grades 9-12 dropout rate of 3% in 2008. The national grades 9-12 dropout rate in 2007 was 4.4%.
The Brownsville ISD District had a grades 9-12 dropout rate of 5% in 2008. The national grades 9-12 dropout rate in 2007 was 4.4%.
In the Richardson ISD District, 11% of students have an IEP (Individualized Education Program). An IEP is a written plan for students eligible for special needs services.
In the Brownsville ISD District, 11% of students have an IEP (Individualized Education Program). An IEP is a written plan for students eligible for special needs services.
The Richardson ISD District serves 14% English Language Learners (ELL). ELL students are in the process of acquiring and learning English Language skills.
The Brownsville ISD District serves 33% English Language Learners (ELL). ELL students are in the process of acquiring and learning English Language skills.
You can spin it any way you want, but you have to be able to read and write in English well if you want to do well in school.
So El de Los Fresnos spend some time in your childs school it will take more than a day or so to really feel the full extent what a good student has to be able to comprehend and digest and then say that that the students are not being challenged.
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