Latino Youth: Converting Challenges to Opportunities. JSRI Working Paper No. 50.

This paper examines demographic and socioeconomic data on the Latino population, focusing on characteristics of Latino youth. The U.S. Hispanic population is growing rapidly, fueled by both immigration and high fertility rates. Although census figures indicate that about 64 percent of Hispanics are of Mexican origin, the Latino population is very diverse in terms of self-identified ethnicity. Younger age groups of Latinos are growing at a disproportionately faster rate than those of other racial groups. Today's Latino youth are the largest minority youth group in the United States and may make up the majority of the workforce when they reach middle age. Although Latinos do not comprise a single, monolithic community, issues that bring them together include maintenance of culture and the Spanish language, family values, immigrant rights, poverty, and work ethic. While Latino males have high labor force participation, their low wages and seasonal employment leave them in poverty. Their poverty is persistent and increasing, characterized by low levels of education and low participation in public assistance programs. Latino youth have disproportionately low rates of high school graduation and college attendance. Opponents of bilingual education, culturally relevant education, and affirmative action propose genetic or cultural deficits as the cause, ignoring links to inequitable school resources, low teacher expectations, and tracking systems. Needs for research on Latino youth are outlined. Eighteen data tables present demographic, poverty, employment, dropout, enrollment, and educational attainment data. (Contains 68 references and suggested readings.) (SV)