Differences in Perceptions of Barriers in Higher Education Among Latinos in the U.S

This study utilized social construction theory to examine the differences in perceptions of barriers in education among Latinos in the United States based on the participants' level of linguistic acculturation, generational status, academic achievement, and socioeconomic status. Latino students tend to have lower grades, standardized test scores, high school completion rates, college enrollment rates, and persistence in college to the completion of a degree, than White students (National Center for Education Statistics, 2005; Pew Hispanic Research Center, 2004). Higher levels of academic achievement have been associated with higher incomes and fewer negative health and social problems (National Center for Children in Poverty, 2006). Increasing the number of Latinos with college degrees not only benefits the individual, but society as well because individuals with college degrees generate higher tax revenues which can be used for schools or other social programs (Robles, 2008). This study examined whether identified barriers to individual academic achievement in previous studies- low levels of linguistic acculturation, generational status, academic achievement, and socioeconomic status, (Lazarin, 2006; National Center for Education Statistics, 2005; National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition and Language Instruction Educational Programs, 2002; Portes & Rumbaut, 2001), were also related to the perception of barriers in higher education.

Data were drawn from the 2004 National Survey of Latinos: Education compiled by the Pew Hispanic Research Center between August 7 and October 15, 2003, from 3421 adults regarding their attitudes toward education. This study utilized data from the 1508 participants who identified themselves as being of Hispanic/Latino heritage. Over 63 percent of the Latino participants identified themselves as being of Mexican descent. Forty-four percent of the identified Hispanic/Latinos were male and 56% were female. The mean age of the participants was 43. Forty-four percent of the self identified Hispanic/Latino participants preferred to be interviewed in Spanish. Fifty-nine percent had annual family incomes of $35,000 or less and 56.8% had a high school diploma/GED or lower.

Contrary to the hypothesis, multinomial logistic regression results indicated that participants with higher levels of linguistic acculturation, generational status, academic achievement, and socioeconomic status were more likely to perceive barriers to enrollment in college and the completion of a degree. Participants with higher levels of linguistic acculturation, academic achievement, and socioeconomic status were more likely to perceive discrimination as barriers. Third generation participants and those with higher levels of academic achievement also perceived the idea that you do not need college to be successful, as a barrier to college enrollment and the completion of a degree.

The results support the theory that certain individual characteristics such as linguistic acculturation, generational status, academic achievement, and socioeconomic status, are related to the social construction of perceived barriers in education. By exploring the variables related to the social construction of the perception of barriers in education, social workers can work to not only address the already identified social and structural barriers to academic achievement among Latinos, but also work to address the perception of barriers in education among Latinos in the U.S.