Challenges Latinx Students Face

Barriers within the education system that impact Latinx students and their access to an equal educational opportunities.

Latinx students face unique barriers throughout their education that can make it challenging for them to thrive and access educational opportunities. This article focuses on the educational barriers that Latinx students face and how this may affect their academic achievement. These barriers include a combination of social, institutional, and cultural factors that affect their education.

Lack of support:

Latinx high school students are likely to deal with barriers such as lack of support, lack of financial resources, and family responsibilities. (Manzano-Sanchez, 2019) This can make it more challenging for Latinx students to achieve their academic goals and access higher educational opportunities. A lack of support can also create a lack of preparation for higher education because students are not being given the support and resources needed to succeed.

Lack of Belief:

The belief gap is the absence of belief in a student’s academic success by teachers and administrators. This can often translate into a lack of support for students who can suffer academically as a result of this. This lack of belief can lead students to internalize the attitudes and beliefs about them and their abilities.

This can especially be true for students of color who are more likely to internalize stereotypes and negative attitudes about their ethnic or racial group. This can be unconsciously internalized and have harmful effects on a student’s perception of what they can accomplish. This issue is perpetuated when students do not have proper support systems from the adults and mentors in their educational life.

Institutional Barriers: Policies

The culture and policies of educational institutions often do not take into account the experiences and cultural diversity of Latinx students as well as other students of color. This creates disadvantages for students of color because of the inequalities they may have to face as a result of these institutional flaws. The barriers that Latinx students face can make it more challenging for them to access educational opportunities, resources, and support.

Lack of Representation:

There are very few Latinx faculty and administrators within educational institutions and in the classroom. (Schueths and Carranza, 2012) This shortage of Latinx faculty within educational institutions has created a lack of diversity and representation of Latinx students and their unique experiences. This shortage can be attributed to the institutional disadvantages that Latinx groups face in reaching these opportunities and higher-level positions. (Schueths and Carranza, 2012)

Due to this lack of representation in the educational system it has created a cultural barrier for Latinx students as their experiences are not being reflected. Such institutional and cultural barriers affect Latinx groups “access to higher education, high-level jobs, career opportunities, increased income, and political power.” (Schueths and Carranza, 2012)

Moving Forward:

In order to help Latinx students overcome these barriers there are major changes that need to be made within the education system. There is a greater need for Latinx faculty in educational institutions that will help better reflect the experiences of Latinx students and prioritize their needs. In addition, there is a need for policy changes that promote a culture of diversity and a system that helps Latinx students and other students of color obtain access to resources, support, educational opportunities, and knowledge.