By: tito guerrero iii  (Page 7/7)

With respect to access to technology, including the basic hardware, software, and Internet connectivity, the Tomás Rivera Policy Institute found the following: home access to computers and the Internet is lower for Hispanics; home access continues to be associated with income; and school access to computers and the Internet is somewhat lower for schools with a high percentage of minority and disadvantaged youngsters, though the gap is rapidly closing. Also, an increasing number, but a decreasing fraction, of Web sites are Spanish-language or bilingual; the lack of Spanish Web sites can be a determining factor in Hispanic use of the Internet, particularly among older, first generation immigrants with lower levels of education; and community relevance and cultural content are important predictors of Internet use by Hispanics. And yet, Hispanics are significant online shoppers, but the limited array of Spanish-language consumer Web sites acts as a deterrent. Hispanic businesses, being mostly small and not technology-intensive, are not as deeply involved in e-commerce as their peers in other ethnic communities (The Tomás Rivera Policy Institute).

Ironically, Hispanics who graduate from universities today are likely to face some of the same social and political challenges that were the object of so many government “opportunity” programs in the latter half of the 20 ^th century. According to José E. Vega (2001), the challenges in the ‘60s and ‘70s were segregated public schools and neighborhoods, declining access to higher education, subtle discrimination in the workplace, increased distrust and scrutiny of the “undeserving” poor, decreased funding for bilingual-bicultural education programs, and the dismantling of affirmative hiring practices and processes. Despite numerous examples of forward progress for Hispanics in a variety of arenas, it sometimes feels as if almost no progress has been made.

Responding to current challenges

The Business – Higher Education Forum identified some specific steps that could be taken to attend to the challenges of incorporating African Americans and Hispanics fully into the fabric of American life. They include the following:

• Provide high-quality pre-school, elementary, and secondary education, as well as high-performing teachers for every student. This requires eliminating inequities in the availability of resources and quality of teaching that serve as barriers to educational quality, especially in inner-city and rural schools.
• Increase financial aid to students who need it. Racially and ethnically diverse students from low-income families will account for most of the increase in the college-age population in coming decades. Federal, state, and private funding of student aid has not kept up with the demand or with inflation. To meet the needs of low-income students for financial aid, the federal government must increase funding for Pell Grants; and state governments and private sources – including colleges and universities themselves – must also increase the amount of need-based aid they provide.
• Ensure that children from families that do not have experience with college receive information and support services in time to prepare for, apply to, and enroll in college.
• Create campus environments that value diversity and provide support that helps all students complete their studies. Pair these efforts with ample financial aid and strong tutoring and mentoring programs.
• Develop and implement more thoughtful, innovative, and results-oriented approaches to enrolling greater numbers of minority students in higher education, despite the uncertainty resulting from recent court rulings and referenda. One way to do this is for business and academic leaders to build on existing practices that have proven successful. These include paid internships for students in the workplace or in training programs, and scholarships. These business initiatives need to be supported and expanded (Business – Higher Education Forum).

Of course, the above steps represent what needs to be done in order to provide as many of America’s citizens as possible the opportunity to maximize their talents and abilities and to make use of them for the betterment of society. If that occurs, all members of the society will benefit. Unfortunately, the implementation of the above steps will not be without resistance. The big question, then, is why can’t folks see that we all will benefit from the expansion of opportunity and not just a limited few?

Bibliography

Business – Higher Education Forum, Investing in People: Developing All of America’s Talent on Campus and in the Workplace , Washington: American Council on Education, 2002.

Harvey, William B., Minorities in Higher Education 2000-2001, Eighteenth Annual Status Report , Washington: American Council on Education, 2001.

Plasencia, William, “Breaking the Board Ceiling: More Hispanics Are Slowly Becoming Corporate Directors,” Hispanic , Volume 15, Number 5 (2002): 26-27.

Radelat, Ana, “Political Puzzle,” Hispanic , Volume 15, Number 5 (2002): 19-20.

The Latin American Research and Service Agency, LARASA Reports , Denver: March, 2002.

The Tomás Rivera Policy Institute, Latinos and Information Technology: The Promise and the Challenge , Claremont: February, 2002.

Sixel, L.M., “Hispanics Suffer More Deaths on the Job,” Houston Chronicle , March 26, 2002: 1B&9B.

United States Census Bureau, The Hispanic Population, Census 2000 Brief . Washington: May 2001.

Vega, José E., “Challenging Social Issues for Latinos in the 21 ^st Century,” The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education , October 22, 2001: 120.

Tito Guerrero III is the President of Cambridge College, Massachusetts.