Why Latino education is more important than ever
by Being Latino Contributors
Educated Latinos are essential to U.S. economic strength. Census data continues to show that black and Latino children make up the majority of babies born in the United States, yet they continually underperform their white peers. However, there is a silver lining to a booming minority population.
Many issues facing these communities are going to be so large that they can no longer be overlooked. Education gaps in particular will have to be addressed if the United States wants to maintain a highly educated workforce.
Interest in minorities’ success derives from the potential economic and social gains the United States can amass. By raising Latino educational attainment levels, the United States will save money on welfare, healthcare and law enforcement, while gaining money through increased tax revenue and higher disposable incomes. The U.S. economy and society will be bettered, while Latinos live higher quality, more civically-engaged, lives – less Latinos will be on welfare, in prison or sick. This is an all-around win-win situation for minorities and the United States.
While the benefits of educating minorities are great, so is the task of getting minority students to perform.
Closing the achievement gap is tedious work. More minority children belong to low-income families
