Chapter 16: Leaving Latino Males Behind

Nationally, only 11% of Latinos are pursuing postsecondary education (National Center for Education Statistics, 2008). While Latino students make-up almost half of the California K-12 student population (California State Department of Education, 2009), they account for a little over 19% of the students in both the state (CSU) and university (UC) systems (California Post-Secondary Education Commission, 2007). While the struggle for educational equity continues unabated for all Latino students, the underrepresentation of Latino males in colleges and universities is a particularly acute problem.

The American Council on Education (2010) recently reported that the national gender gap in higher education is narrowing for all ethnic groups, but not for Latinos. More Latinas graduate from high school, and enter and graduate from college, than their Latino male counterparts. The rate of college-going among Latinas has increased 510% while the Latino male college enrollment rates increased 255% (Center for Community Development and Civil Rights, 2007). In 2005, nationwide, Latino males earned only 39.1% of all BAs conferred to Latinos and a scant 36.2% of the MAs, compared to 69.9% and 63.9% for Latinas. In California, the Latino percentages were even lower—Latinos accounted for 36.1% of the BAs and only 33.3% of the MAs (Excelencia in Education, 2005).