Textbook- LATINOS ANS LATINAS AT RISK, Issues in Education, Health, Community, and Justice Volume 1 by Gabrial Gutierrez, Editor

Read: Gabriel Gutiérrez, Latinos and Latinas at Risk, Preface through P. 53.

Respond to the "Further Investigations" questions-

FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS: WHO ARE LATINOS/AS?

Latino and Latina pan-ethnic identity has been the subject of much discussion since the 1980s, the decade termed „The Decade of the Hispanic," when Latino/a demographic patterns began to reveal a tremendous growth in the United States. The presumption of „nit-picking‰ between and among various identity terms is devoid of addressing issues that are entrenched in a much longer historical and politically loaded timeline. Whatever the case, though the terms Latino/a and Hispanic may be recent inventions, the collective experiences of people who are identified under such pan-ethnic terms emerge in U.S. history as people who are recent immigrants but also as people whose histories predate the United States itself. Does one position oneself within the privileges afforded presumed descendants of the „conquerors‰ or of the historically marginalized, the „vanquished‰? Why would it be important to understand a person's „point of departure‰ when reclaiming one's own identity?

The collective experiences of Latinos and Latinas demonstrate that this group is quite diverse. On one hand, the experience of Cirila Baltazar Cruz exemplifies the complexity of individuals whose experience in the United States is driven by economic necessity and thus immigration into regions of the United States that are both unfamiliar to their realities and hostile to their presence. On the other hand, the experience of Abigail Medina in this same case reflects the beliefs of some Latinos/as and other residents of the United States that people like Baltazar Cruz are „illegal aliens,‰ and thus should be treated differently. Are people like Medina justified in designating people like Baltazar Cruz as „different‰ and thus treated differently to the point that their children are taken away from them? If so, what are the justifications for such treatment? If not, what can be done to improve how people, Latinos and Latinas particularly, with different experiences and worldviews can learn to understand each other better and thus improve human interaction and relations?

FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS: LATINOSIAS AND 2010 U.S. CESUS

The growth of the U.S. Latino/a population has led all other racial and ethnic groups at the turn of the 21st century. As stated earlier, this demonstrates plenty of promise and opportunities for Latinos/as, the United States, and respective countries in Latin America. At the same time, the growth of Latinos/as in the United States has occurred at a time in history when U.S. society, particularly marketers, policy makers, news media pundits, educators, and health care workers base their decisions to service the Latino/a population on U.S. Census data. To what extent do numbers reflect directions in which policy should follow? Should policy decisions place a priority on the quality-of-life needs of the demographic groups reflected in the U.S. Census data? If so, what types of social and public policies should be implemented that would guarantee a viable quality of life for Latinos/as, and thus the U.S. population as a whole? If not, who should the social and public policy benefit?

Though experiencing a history of marginalization, Latinos/as are not an „outsidE" group looking into U.S. society. Historically, Latinos/as have been central players in some areas of U.S. society. Thus, as the number of Latinos/as continues to grow, and as debates rage regarding whether Latinos/as should or should not be considered part of the mainstream culture and politics, have Latinos/as had an impact on the development of a larger national culture? What role might the growth of Latino/a numbers play in political affairs of the United States?

The growth of Latinos/as in numbers and percentages at national and regional levels is complemented by the diversity within Latinos/as themselves. U.S. Census data revealed general patterns about this population. Based on U.S. Census data, should Latinos/as be considered a monolithic group, that is, should they be considered to form a large singular block of people who share a single culture, language, politics, or socioeconomic standing? Do growth rates of different national origin Latino/a groups reveal anything about the continued development of a Latino/a community within the United States?

FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS: POLITICS, ECONOMICS, AND EDUCATION

The 2010 U.S. Census reveals plenty of data regarding the standing of Latinos/as in U.S. society. Politically, as seen through the increase over time in Latino/a elected officials and the presidential election of 2012, Latinos/as have become a national force that must be seriously contended with in future political considerations. Does the growth in numbers itself translate into a growth in Latino/a political power? If so, through what outcomes might that power be measured? If not, what might the growth in Latino/a political numbers indicate? Do elections serve as a gauge for political empowerment, or does political empowerment in the Latino/a community
require persistent oversight of the politicians Latinos/as help to elect?

The disparity in wealth by race in the United States can be attributed to several factors. The factors that determine net worth (assets minus debt) include homeownership and debt. In what ways do assets (e.g., equity in homeownership) and debt (e.g., loans) affect the ways in which members of different racial groups are impacted in their attempts to build wealth? How do the differences in the „cost of loans" affect people by race? How and why is it that these racialized disparities exist?

Education is often deemed the avenue through which people at the lower end of the socioeconomic pyramid can achieve some form of upward social mobility. For many Latinos/as educational attainment is especially critical if they are to achieve upward social mobility. Scholars point to a disparity in approaches to education that hinder educational attainment for Latinos/as that include attempts to assimilate Latino/a students rather than attempts to teach subject matter. Other scholars point to the fact that maintaining oneÊs culture is very central to educational success. Should assimilation and conformity to mainstream U.S. ideals be the main goal of educational practices when it comes to Latino/a students? Should biculturalism be practiced as a way of allowing Latino/a students to learn from their own points of view, which often reflect their upbringing at home? What impact might current educational practices have on Latino/a educational attainment at the high school, associate, bachelorÊs, masterÊs, doctorate, and first-professional levels? If you were a policy maker, what strategies would you employ to improve the educational attainment of those who are underrepresented in the data provided?