MALDEF (The Mexican-American Legal Defense & Education Fund, in partnership with the National Women's Law Center released a report highlighting the huge challenges young Latinas are facing at this time. It is titled "Listening to Latinas: Barriers to Graduation"

 What do you think?

 Latinas are dropping out of school in alarming numbers. Forty-one percent of Latina students do not graduate with their class in four years—if they graduate at all. Many Latina students face challenges related to poverty, immigration status, limited English proficiency, and damaging gender and ethnic stereotypes. And the high teen pregnancy rate for Latinas (53% by the age of 20) reflects and reinforces the barriers they face.This report helps reinforce the 

The study reveals that as Latinos work to provide for their families, education too often takes a back seat to survival. Often times Latina students must take on parental duties to either younger siblings, or, in a community with the highest teen pregnancy rate, their own children. Cultural stigmas contribute to low self-esteem and insecurities, allowing society to ignore Latina students who then trade-in the possibility of a future career, for a future predestined by bias, discrimination, and a lack of support.

COLOR, in partnership with the Latina Initiative and Padres y Jovenes Unidos has launched the Campaign for Accountable Public Schools to help address some of the exacurbating issues that affect our community. Please join us this fall as we ensure that young Latinas have the tools, resources and knowledge to access the widest range of opportunities for themselves and their families.

COLORistas, feel free to tell us what you think.

To read the entire report go to MALDEF's website

Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register.

Powered by AkoComment Tweaked Special Edition v.1.4.6
AkoComment © Copyright 2004 by Arthur Konze - www.mamboportal.com
All right reserved