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Jessica Dominguez Cotzajay

Professor Corri Ditch
English 113B
08 May 2015
Are Hispanics Lacking An Education?
We carry on a whole series of different relationships to different people. We are one
thing to one man another thing to anotherWe divide ourselves up in all sorts of different selves
within reference to our acquaintance (qtd. in Jackson, Glenn, Williams 126). This quote by
George Herbert Mead explains how a person has multiple identities that he or she associates
within a certain place or with certain people. For example, how one is at home surely would not
be the same if he or she were with friends or in a classroom setting. All these identities influence
how the person becomes. Before a person is influenced, it is the cultural space that starts it all.
This meaning how one is raised in a particular environment or with certain people affects the
persons perspective. For me, education, religion, and Hispanic culture shape who I am as a
person. Out of all these cultural influences, the education culture is one of the most important
influences. From a young age, I was taught that education is important in order to become
successful. As a Hispanic myself, some would be surprised to know the education that I have
received. The Hispanic culture and education community contradict each other at times because
of how society has defined Hispanics lacking an education. Western society has created the
generalization of Hispanics lacking education and not achieving. I and other Hispanics are
breaking away from the traditional norms of Hispanics not getting an education because we want
to defy the stereotypes and to prove that we are capable of receiving an education. Although
society has influenced others to view Hispanics to lack an education, Hispanics are proving to

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society that those generalizations do not define them by showing that they are capable of getting
an education.
The education and Hispanic culture are different settings-one being of academics and the
other of ethnicity. Coming together as one, it can be an impact to the person belonging to both
cultures. Cultural space is created in both settings to influence the person to have different
perspectives, yet have both to work together as one. Being part of the Hispanic culture has
taught me to be proud of my ethnicity. Raised in a Hispanic household, I was to speak the
language, to be humble, to be respectful, to be hardworking, and to go after the goals I want to
reach. This shows that my family and environment I was raised in has impacted how I am today
as a person. The cultural space of being part of the Hispanic family has influenced how I
perceive things from others. My Hispanic culture and another culture view things differently,
which makes it unique because it shows the individuality. My Hispanic culture has followed in
the step of my academics. My parents did not want me to follow the pathway they did of not
getting an education, so they encouraged by sending me to school and motivating me every step
of the way. The academic community is different depending on the school one attends-public,
private, or homeschooling. Each school setting has the cultural space that creates an
environment where students are able to connect and to learn with one another. I was sent to a
private school that taught a high curriculum along with teaching the religion of Christianity.
Although I did get an education, I noticed how the education and Hispanic culture contradicted
each other at times. At my school there were not many Hispanics attending, and Hispanics are
generalized to not receive a high education, let alone any education at all.
Being part of the Hispanic and academic culture has its positive and negative aspects.
The positive is that I am able to relate to both communities by communicating and interacting

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with each. The negative is that both are not compatible in the eyes of society. Traditionally,
Hispanics are known for lacking an education. Society, media, and culture itself have shaped the
relationship between the Hispanics and education community. According to the article in the
Latin Post, one of the many negative stereotypes shown in the media of Hispanics is that they
are less educated, which leads to the American public chooses to believe these farce
stereotypes based on what they see on the screen. Media displays these negative stereotypes of
Hispanics, which makes others to believe that all Hispanics are the same based on how media
portrays them to be. Culture and education can be combined into one; it can be helpful or nonhelpful. In this case, the Hispanic and education culture are problematic because it has led others
to stereotypically perceive Hispanics as not being good enough for education. Stereotyping
occurs when people expect all cultural group members to have the same characteristics and
engage in the same behaviors. This is problematic because not every member of a culture shares
the exact same way of life as every other member of that culture all time (Kurylo 7). This quote
explains that stereotyping leads to others expecting all people to behave or to do things similarly.
In this case, all Hispanics, stereotypically, lack an education. On the contrary, the quote also
explains that just because a person is connected within a certain culture does not mean that they
will follow the traditional norms. As a personal experience of mine, when people have asked
about my education they become shocked to know that I have graduated high school and am now
attending college. They do not expect me to go this far in receiving an education because of the
stereotypical perspective the person has towards Hispanics. This personal experience is one of
the many experiences that other Hispanics can relate to. It shows how some people think little of
Hispanics achieving greater goals.

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Although, there are times when Hispanics are not able to get the education needed.
According to the article Latinos and Education: Explaining the Attainment Gap, one of the
major factors as to why Hispanics are not receiving an education is because they had to support
their family. This meaning that financial struggle is one of the many reasons why Hispanics are
not getting an education. Now, there are foundations that are supporting to help Hispanics to get
the education needed. An example is the Head Start foundation, which helps Hispanic families
and children to guide them through education. Although there are obstacles that prevent
Hispanics from receiving an education, resources are continuing to develop to help Hispanics
with education. It is not that the Hispanics are lacking education skills, but rather the obstacles
that are blocking resources to support them in education.
Despite Hispanics being traditionally viewed for lacking education, there are Hispanics
who are separating from the traditional perspective that has been implanted within their culture.
Personally, I would be part of breaking away from the stereotypical view because I am getting an
education. I am the first generation in my family to graduate from high school and to attend
college. My parents have been the motivation for my continuation in school because they have
sacrificed so much for my education and they do not want me to be uneducated but rather they
want me to achieve for the better. This does not mean that I am ashamed of my culture but
rather I am trying to bring a positive aspect that Hispanics can and are capable of getting an
education. According to the article Hispanic Education in the United States, it states: in
some areas there have been improvement[s] in the status of Latino education over the past
decade. This quote explains how there has been an increase within the Hispanic culture to get
an education. Along with another article Latinos and Education: Explaining the Attainment
Gap, it supports by also stating that Hispanics are seeing how education is an important aspect

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to help them achieve in life. This reveals that there is a desire from Hispanics to receive an
education that they are willing to reach for greater goals and break away from traditional norms.
Therefore, the stereotypical belief that Hispanics lack an education is being disproven
because now there are Hispanics who are breaking away from the traditional norms. Although
Hispanics are known as a minority group, they seem to put education as their top priority.
Hispanics are proving that they are capable of doing much more than what a label has reduced
them to. I am part of the Hispanic culture who is breaking away from traditional norms and
proving that I am capable of getting an education and that I am able to reach for higher goals.
My parents have taught me to put education as a priority because it will set me for life. Both my
Hispanic and education culture have shaped who I am. The cultural spaces from the Hispanic
and academic culture have influenced me to put both together and create a positive aspect to
prove that Hispanics are capable of receiving an education. Society may view Hispanics as not
being lacking an education, but little by little, Hispanics are breaking away from stereotypes to
prove that they are able to receive an education.

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Works Cited:
Jackson II, Ronald L., Cerise L. Glenn and Kesha Morant Williams. "Self-Identity and
Culture." 2013.
Kohler, Adriana D. and Melissa Lazarin. nclr.org. 2007.
Kurylo, Anastacia. "Culture and Communication." 2013.
Lopez, Mark Hugo. pewhispanic.org. 7 October 2009.
Thompson, Nicole Akoukou. latinpost.com. 2013 November 2013.