| Educational Challenges Facing Latinas Most Latinas have goals to graduate and get professional jobs, but challenges including discrimination and gender stereotyping undermine their chances of success, a new survey shows. The discrimination -- sometimes from teachers and fellow students -- affects the young women's self-confidence and performance, leading to lower graduation rates, according to the report released last week by the National Women's Law Center and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. "About 80 percent of the students surveyed want to graduate from college and perhaps go further, " the report said. "And 98 percent reported that they wanted to graduate from high school. Yet the dropout rates of Latinas are extremely high." The survey was based on 335 responses received from schools and programs in various parts of the country, with follow-up interviews and focus groups, plus a review of existing research, according to the report. Out of the young women surveyed, one-third do not expect to achieve their educational goals for various reasons, it said. "Many Latinas are influenced by family and societal expectations, often based on stereotypes of Latinas as submissive underachievers and caretakers, " the report said. "When these stereotypes are internalized, they may cause Latinas to doubt their chances for academic and career success." Alarming rise in Latina drop-out rate They also face a series of other challenges, including poverty, immigration status, limited English and lack <b>...</b> |
