Chapter 11: Urban Latino Parents’ Narratives of Parent Involvement

Parent involvement in schools educating working class minority youth is relatively lower than it is in White and middle class schools, a fact that has received much attention in the academic literature because parental involvement is associated with positive behavior and the academic achievement of children (Auerbach, 2007; Epstein, 2001; Henderson & Berla, 1994; Hoover-Dempsey & Sandler, 1995; Lareau, 1989, 2003). While research indicates that parents from dominant groups better leverage parental involvement into academic achievement for their children, minority parents are no less interested in helping their children succeed academically (Lee & Bowen, 2006). In addition, numerous studies have found that parental and community involvement can result in higher academic achievement among Latino students (Aspiazu, Bauer, & Spillet, 1998; Haro, 2004).