Here is a sobering statistic:
About 41 percent of all Mexicans between ages 16 and 19 in the city have dropped out of school, according to census data.Here are a list of possible explanations (from the article):
Many Mexicans are poor and in the country illegally.
Parents, many of them uneducated, often work in multiple jobs, leaving little time for involvement in their children’s education.
Some are further isolated from their children’s school life because of language barriers or fear that contact with school officials may lead to deportation.
Unlike some other immigrant populations, like the Chinese, Mexicans have few programs for tutoring or mentoring.
Many young illegal immigrants in New York City say there is no point in staying in school because their lack of legal status limits their access to college scholarships and employment opportunities.
Some drop out under the erroneous belief that they are not eligible to attend college.
Mexicans in the city have shallower roots, less stable households and higher rates of illegal immigration.
Many young Mexicans were compelled to get jobs to help their families.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/25/nyregion/mexicans-in-new-york-city-lag-in-education.html?_r=1&emc=tnt&tntemail1=y
I find it interesting to realize that something that we may not want to think is our problem, is becoming our problem. We have been having many undocumented not go to school, drop out of high school or even they are in fear of deportation. These fears and reasons are why something must be done. We are not being benefited by our policies right now- let them help us become a better nation; give them a chance.
ReplyDeleteI believe this further supports why we need to close our borders and keep the flow of illegal immigrants out. By letting illegal immigrants in,we are forcing them and their children to be stuck into a lower socioeconomic level. Also , since many of them are not finishing school, many of these people are being forced into the low wage, under the table jobs. These Mexican illegal immigrants are fulfilling the secondary labor market in America that use to be filled by African Americans. We need to eliminate this secondary labor market, close off the borders, and then allow the ones that are already here to progress and become citizens. We, however, can not afford to let all impoverished, poor citizens who cross the border illegally have citizenship because not only does it make a mockery of our nation's laws, but it also would financially ruin our country.
ReplyDeleteI think these statistics are very interesting. I think we as America need to do something to change this and help illegal immigrant children succeed in school. One of the reasons some people don't want illegal immigrants is because they feel we don't need more unskilled workers. If we don't help these immigrant children, then we will just get more and more unskilled workers in the US. If we can help them become educated then they can become skilled workers. This will help mitigate the disadvantages of illegal immigrants. Our society would benefit nicely from having more skilled workers.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the Dream Act would aid in reducing these appalling figures, for teenagers will have the incentive to work hard for an obtainable goal. Growing up, I had many friends in high school who were undocumented and wished to obtain a college degree. Some gave up when they realized their parents did not have the position to help them pay for college. Others gave up when they learned that they could not receive financial aid. But, let us not victimize them, for many of us have faced similar struggles and we have managed to pay for our education either by getting loans or working hard. Unfortunately, these students cannot work legally or obtain loans.
ReplyDeleteNote, the conflicting message we are sending to this “one and a half” immigrant generation. First, they do not belong to the only country they know (and then we complain why they wave Mexican flags). Second, they can attend college even if they are undocumented as long as they can pay for it (suggesting for them to work illegally if they want an education). Third, even if they manage to get themselves through the obstacles and obtain a college degree, they cannot work in their career. This is not the kind of incentive the average high school student has in mind when striving for good grades. I am assuming the 41% in the statistic to be undocumented for they were labeled “Mexicans” instead of “Mexican Americans.” If this statistic represents undocumented students, then the Dream Act would reduce this number of high school dropouts. Many worry that that the Dream Act may become an incentive for more to come. The truth is that whatever America does is an incentive. When there are a lot of deportations, people in Mexico think they should come because there are more jobs available (I personally have heard this ideology). Going back to education, yes it might become an incentive, but it will attract immigrants who want to study and become professionals but lack the resources in Mexico.
On a different note, I would like to invite everyone to take an honest advantage of the drive that accompanies undocumented immigrants when they arrive. These individuals are willing to work as hard as they can for a better life. With more incentives to guide them in the right direction, we can have them help our nation become more competitive.
I thought that the list of explanations for the statistics given in the chart were really interesting. First of all, I don’t understand why there would be more tutoring or mentoring programs for different immigrant populations, like the Chinese, than there are for Mexicans, especially when you consider the fact that Mexicans contribute a major chunk of our immigrants. I also don’t believe that Mexicans have a higher drop-out rate because of the belief that they are not eligible to attend college. The big one that I did agree with but hadn’t thought about before was that because Mexican families in general are poorer, young Mexicans are compelled to get jobs to help their families or parents hold multiple jobs. When a teenager is holding a job that is expected to help support a family, it is no wonder that they don’t get a very good education and is more likely to drop out. This also is probably a large contributor to the ongoing challenge that immigrants from Mexico face with breaking out of poverty and moving up in economic status and social class.
ReplyDeleteThis is a sad statistic. More needs to be done to keep Mexicans in school and help them graduate. Regardless of their parents' status, we should never let children suffer or have a poor education.
ReplyDeleteCan I get an "Amen!" to what Claudia said? Throw in a "Hallelujah!" too
ReplyDeleteSobering is a very good word to describe this article. I am very surprised by the percentage of Mexicans that have dropped out of school and that it is double the number of any other minority group. Some of the reasons given definitely make sense but others are poor excuses in my opinion. For example, some people said they dropped out of high school because they knew they could not go to college. It seems ridiculous to me that you would give up on something you can accomplish just because something else is out of reach. In my family, going to college was expected so the thought of dropping out of high school never even crossed my mind. It is eye opening to realize that other cultures and ethnic groups have such different views on education. The article goes on to say that efforts are being made to keep these trend from continuing. In fact, in 2000, the percentage of drop outs was 47% so the programs are already showing some promise.
ReplyDeleteI think many people simply point out the fact that Mexicans are poor, here illegally, are often uneducated, and have language barrier problems. However, they do not go into the reasons behind these statements or delve into the negative effects it has on the Mexican immigrants; it is always viewed with a ‘they are bad for our country’ mindset.
ReplyDeleteI am glad this article reported a statistic and then gave a list of possible explanations. There are valid reasons behind the high drop-out statistic! These explanations help us see that life can be extremely difficult for the Mexican immigrants.
Often we hear about sobering statistics and think ‘oh poor us’ and never ‘poor them.’ What changes do you think we would see in the general American attitude about Mexican immigration if the news reported both sides of the story? Or at least point out the negative effects things have on both American citizens and Mexican immigrants?