In the article, “Still Falling Through the Cracks: Revisiting the Latina/o Education Pipeline” by Hubert et al, the authors argue that the educational disparities that are affecting Latinx students exist all the way from elementary school to graduate school and tenure for those in academia. The wide range in which these problems exist highlights that the education disparities are brought on by the educational system and that while some changes are being made to improve the statistics, it is not enough. One of the key points that stood out to me was the fact that any improvements being made is likely a reflection of the growing population, not because of the measures that have been implemented. One of the main arguments is that providing the students with education about their own culture through Chicano studies and other similar programs encourages engagement with the material and connects them with leaders who look like them, the key in keeping children in school. In the in class documentary, Precious Knowledge, we are able to hear from students and educators in Arizona how Raza studies have changed their outlook on education and life, motivating them to continue with school.
It is mentioned in the first text, it mentioned how the Mexican-American studies program ended in Tucson, leaving me to wonder how it impacted the student’s trajectory. I could see how much it meant to them. I doubt that there weren’t any protests or rallying. It also makes me wonder if the classes were having a positive effect on the community, increasing the students’ graduation rates, which in turn can benefit the economy, why would the government change that. It feels as if education and the government are always at odds with one another, especially in today’s news with the Trump administration trying to dismantle the department of education.
I think that if I would have had a class like this in high school, it would have been met positivity by the student body and the few Latinx teachers we had and encouraged students in the same way. My school had a ballet folklorico program which I feel had a similar impact on students. It taught students about their culture and even got people participating in it outside of school as well. Programs like these attract teachers who really care which I think is another important aspect of keeping students in school.
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