Latino Youth survey bolsters proof that programs targeting young Latinos are needed -- now (Latina Lista)

Latino Youth survey bolsters proof that programs targeting young Latinos are needed -- now (Latina Lista)

Latino Youth survey bolsters proof that programs targeting young Latinos are needed -- now

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The last two sentences in the opening paragraph that introduces the Pew Hispanic Center's latest report Between Two Worlds: How Young Latinos Come of Age in America should have everyone sitting on the edge of their seats.

Never before in this country's history has a minority ethnic group made up so large a share of the youngest Americans. By force of numbers alone, the kinds of adults these young Latinos become will help shape the kind of society America becomes in the 21st century.

Those lines are significant because it's Latino/a youth who comprise the largest share of high school dropouts, teen pregnancies, have a personal knowledge of a gang or someone who is in a gang, less likely to pursue college, work in a low-skilled job, etc.

Rather than take this information as a doomsday prediction for this country, this reports enables, not just the Latino community, but local school districts, colleges, state governments and Congress to know where to take action now before the nation reaches a crisis point for having an undereducated majority populace.

Hopefully, this report can be used to validate the warning bells that are being sounded now and programs that state governments are trying to get off the ground but are being met with resistance from segments who don't see why money should be spent on Latino children or why there is such an urgency.

For example, one of the findings of the report was:

Latinos make up about 18% of all youths in the U.S. ages 16 to 25. However, their share is far higher in a number of states. They make up 51% of all youths in New Mexico, 42% in California, 40% in Texas, 36% in Arizona, 31% in Nevada, 24% in Florida, and 24% in Colorado.