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Vanessa Cárdenas explores Latino educational attainment and the importance of affirmative action.
Latinos are one of the fastest growing groups in the US. By 2043, they are expected to double in size, yet they lag significantly behind in educational attainment. By 2018, 45 percent of jobs will require an associate’s degree or higher; however only 26 and 14 percent of U.S.-born Latinos and Latino immigrants have that level of education today, respectively. What’s more, according to the latest Census figures, nearly 65 percent of African Americans and 80 percent of Latino adults lack a post-secondary education. In contrast, 50 percent of the white non-Hispanic population has at least an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree.
These statistics help to elucidate why the decision handed down earlier this week by the United States Supreme Court is so significant to the Latino community. The Court reaffirmed the importance of diversity in college admissions, but made it harder for colleges and universities to consider diversity in their admission policies.
The above excerpt was originally published in Latinovations. Click here to view the full article.
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