In this paper, I will refer to several different ethnic groups. Hispanic or Latino may be used interchangeably with each other, as may Black or African American be used interchangeably. I may use the term "minorities" when referring to both or either group. .
In so many families, even in 2013, there are students graduating from high school this year and heading to college as the first member in their family to continue their education and strive for a degree. Unfortunately, many of these students will not reach that goal, especially if they are Hispanic or African American. This is simply reflecting statistics that even though more minorities are enrolling in college, the rates of success for these students are still shockingly lower than those of their Asian or white counterparts. It then becomes a domino effect. .
Because fewer blacks and Hispanics are graduating and getting degrees, more minorities are getting stuck in lower paying jobs, and end up living in poverty or relying on welfare programs to get by. Because they are getting paid less, they cannot afford to take time off of work in order to go to school to actually obtain a degree in the hopes of getting a career or even a better job. Students growing up in poverty often don't do as well in school because they are forced to work to help provide for their family or discouraged from achieving higher goals set for themselves. This becomes a vicious cycle which can be very hard to break. Not only does this put stress on our country's already grim financial situation, it contributes to the stereotypes that blacks and Hispanics are lazy, don't work, and just count on welfare to get by. These low success rates create and expose a multitude of problems that affect not only minorities, but all of our society. Today's students are tomorrow's workforce, and if only a small percentage of them are getting the necessary skills to be successful in life, the nation runs into a vicious cycle of prejudice, under-preparedness, and a lack of upward mobility for a large percentage of the population.
