Currently, there is no doubt that poverty exists in many homes and communities across the nation. Among these families, a majority are unemployed with little to no education. Specifically, Hispanics are largely poverty-stricken. In contrast to other ethnicities, Hispanics are less likely to graduate from high school or get a college degree. Circumstances vary; nonetheless, Hispanics may fail to get an education because of working to help support the family. Neglecting to receive an education causes families to be trapped in impoverished living. Students with a college degree are more likely to leave poverty than those who either left school before graduation or earned only a high school diploma. Receiving an education can be a gateway out of poverty in Hispanic communities.
Hispanics that receive an education are likely to obtain a higher income or job position. In today's society, a high school diploma is a minimum requirement to succeed in an extremely skilled and educated work force. "In 2006, 9 percent of Americans ages 16 to 24 left high school before getting a diploma, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. For Latinos, the dropout rate was far worse: 22 percent" (Rivera and Berkeley 1). Family life, gang affiliation and many other factors immobilize Hispanics from receiving a proper education. Hispanics' median income is less than half the average American income, whereas their pregnancy rate is one and a half times as high (Rivera and Berkeley 2). The relationship between children and income increase at an inverse rate; the more children the less income conserved. Hispanics have the highest birth rate compared to other minorities, which hinders them from pursuing education goals. According to the article "Transitioning In and Out of Poverty" "Women who are nonwhite, have no high school education, and have younger children spend more time living below the poverty threshold" (Mckernan, Ratcliffe and Cellini).
