There are lots of stereotypes about Hispanics and a prevalent one has to do with education. Stereotypes aside, the reality of the situation is that Hispanics in the United States value education and are concerned with increasing their level of education, especially that of their children.
The event, “Deja Huella, Edúcate” (Leave your mark, Educate yourself) celebrated at the end of August at California State University, Domínguez Hills in Carson, bears witness to the Hispanics’ interest in education. For the fourth consecutive year, the event was organized by the television channel Univisión, and sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Los Angeles, Telefutura, CSUDH, and the Spanish Language newspaper Mundo Hispano. At the event, where parents and children were informed about the advantages of quality education, more than 20,000 individuals were present.

Events like this one serve to inform Hispanics about the American educational system. For example, in data collected for this year, more parents have become aware that public education in this country goes beyond primary education, continuing on through secondary education. Many Hispanics are still in the dark when it comes to the public education available to them and their children.
Hispanics’ “hunger” for education and information is enormous; this interest is demonstrated by the presence of thousands of individuals hoping to receive the books of diverse disciplines that were handed out during this event. Hispanics’ thirst for knowledge is also demonstrated by their active participation in educational programs from kindergarten up until the University level.
Of course, this sort of educational fair is always positive; we must not lose sight of other aspects of the issue of Hispanics and education, which point us to one of the most serious problems that Hispanics face: the abandonment of secondary education by around half of Hispanic students before graduation. A large majority of these dropouts abandon their studies as a result of academic failure and lack of motivation, among other factors. This phenomenon is also described in the conclusions of the report “The Silent Epidemic: Perspectives of High School Dropouts” published by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. One of the most recurrent opinions of the 477 young people interviewed for the study is the following: “that classes are boring and irrelevant to their lives”. Approximately a million students drop out of high school each year, a number that represents one out of every three students.

Among the reasons that explain the high percentage of dropouts in the Hispanic population, we encounter a shortage of good language reinforcement programs, and the limited academic attention received in Hispanic communities and neighborhoods. Apart from the necessity for capable and motivated teachers in these communities, Hispanic students also need more reinforcement and review because often very little is expected of them. Hispanic students need teachers to show them their passion and enthusiasm for learning, and increase students’ interest in classes by demanding students’ best work, and communicating their high expectations for all class members, regardless of their origins.
The afore mentioned report notes that many students who abandon their studies affirm that they would have been able to finish high school if classes had been more of a challenge and someone had helped them to understand that dropping out was a mistake. Here we see the necessity of increasing Hispanic students’ motivation through the reinforcement of traditional values, in line with those responsible for integration, and the success of previous generations of immigrants and their children: values like reliability, perseverance, sacrifice, and effort.
Three out of every four surveyed individuals affirmed that they wouldn’t have abandoned their studies if they could go back in time. We need to get back to teaching the values that defend classic conservatism, values like discipline, exigency, motivation, and competition; these are the values that will increase Hispanics’ success in the educational system. It is also important that parents take action, not only by motivating their children, but also by being aware of what happens at the schools their children attend, participating in school boards and demanding quality education. It is fundamental to push individual and private initiative in order to make change without the central organization of the Government, in line with the very principles that first created the American system and brought it to excellence.

The previously cited report by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation found that 35% of those surveyed between the ages of 16 and 25 attributed dropping out to academic failure, while 65%, surprisingly dropped out with passing grades. It is evident that values and motivation are behind a great part of Hispanics’ drop out rate.
Cultural assimilation and mastery of the English language are essential to fighting this academic failure, therein lies the importance of strengthening both elements from the early years of education through university.
The system needs more educational options for students, preventative systems that detect academic failure and the abandonment of studies before they are produced, as well as greater involvement by parents in their children’s education.