Guest Column
Latino Education: Neglect and Overlook
By Manuel Hernandez/HispanicVista.com
- November 28, 2005
There is a problem in Latino education-a problem rooted not from parent involvement or lack of, violence, domestic violence, teenage pregnancy, dysfunctional families, cultural and language barriers, discrimination and social injustice. It is a problem of generational clashes that come into conflict because of lack of knowledge, neglect and overlook. There is no doubt that Latinos believe that the improvement of the American school system is the highest priority right now, but the 2005 school environment in America is reigned by outdated views and policies which were designed for students with a different set of experiences than the recently arrived Latino student of the 21st century.
Whether we decide to confront the problem or not is not the issue rather how, when and where the consequences of our indecision and inaction will affect us all. It took a tragic moment in history to make us aware that homeland security cannot be taken for granted. When I worked as an English as a Second Language High School teacher at James Monroe High School in the Bronx, New York from 1988-1991, the recently arrived immigrant teen was immediately received by a culturally aware assistant principal who made every human effort possible to make the first school experience in America a welcomed one. Students were interviewed, tested, evaluated and placed in ESL levels where well-prepared and trained teachers polished and assessed language skills on a daily basis. By their junior year, many of these kids were already reading and writing at their grade level requirements. In 2005, the great majority of these programs are non-existent and the transition to mainstream English courses is sudden and forceful.
Latinos are aware that the social, financial and educational development of their community is unequivocally related to their struggles to achieve economic, social and political justice in the United States of America. However, Latino children continue to struggle academically and do not meet the academic demands of city, state and national testing requirements. Although the demographics and ethnicities of the 21st century Latino immigrant have changed, the periods of adjustment, identity collision and culture shock stages are the same now as was in 1988. With the Latino population growing at a quiet yet giant pace, how much time do we have to continue to neglect and overlook Latino education?
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, a college graduate will earn more and have more career opportunities over a lifetime period than a high school graduate. If Latinos are less likely to graduate from high school but continue to grow in population, America has an economic situation that needs immediate attention and hands-on intervention. The Latino people have great potential to make an impact and change the course of American history, but the current neglect and overlook has clouded a vision for the American Latino population.
Latino education is the current core issue that will ultimately set the stage for the Latino contribution to the United States of America. America has taught us to dream and believe in ourselves. That dream which is “deeply rooted in the American dream”(Martin Luther King) demands an education. There are new free tickets to watch the show. Latino education is the ticket that will open the doors to a whole new world of opportunities. Let us not continue to neglect and overlook that which will benefit our generations and us as well.- ______________________________________________
- Contact Manuel Hernandez mannyh32@yahoo.com
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- Manuel Hernandez:
- Born and raised in Sleepy Hollow, New York in 1963. At eleven years of age, Manuel Hernandez' family moved to Puerto Rico. He finished grade school in Puerto Rico. He received his B.A. in English; secondary education at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus in 1986 and completed his M. A. in English at Herbert H. Lehman College in the Bronx, New York in 1994.
- Hernandez has presented workshops, coordinated symposiums, conducted television interviews and moderated panels on the literature written by United States based Latino writers in Puerto Rico, the United States and Mexico. He also writes commentary essays on education for several websites and newspapers in Puerto Rico and The United States. He recently published a textbook titled, Latino/a Literature in The English Classroom (Editorial Plaza Mayor, 2003). The book was nominated for Latino Book of The Year 2004. He teaches full-time in the public schools in Puerto Rico.
- His vision is to promote Latino Literature to motivate teens to read and write. Having an encounter with Latino Literature will help teens (especially Latino teens) to improve their scores on city, national and statewide exams and will prepare them for further literary analysis. Hernandez lives in Luquillo, Puerto Rico and enjoys spending his free time with his beautiful wife, Maria and his fifteen-year old son, Joey. He is a leader in the G-12 Vision at Abundant Life Church in Fajardo.