Rise of Hispanics in college

The Hispanic community throughout the United States has grown drastically within the past 10 years. According to the United States census bureau, the number of Hispanics added to the nation’s population between 2014 and 2015 was more than a million.

Growing up in a Hispanic household and community has made me realize that we all can succeed no matter where we come from. Many Hispanics live in poverty; college is often not an option for us.

We have immigrant parents and grandparents who come with nothing in their pockets. Most of these parents do not have a high school degree to even have a good paying job. That is why more than half of us live off of government assistance.

I was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I have witnessed some of my middle school and high school classmates having to choose between work or going to school.

Pew Research reported that the drop-out rate of young Hispanics, went from 32 percent in 2000 to 12 percent in 2014, which is still higher than any other minority group.

Most hispanic teenagers I knew did not have a parental figure in their life. They had to provide everything on their own, which is why so many had to choose working over getting a college education. Some would even drop out because they lost hope of being successful or going to college.

Those people who did have parents to lean on still were not able to attend college. Why? Because parents would have to work about two to three jobs to provide their kids with a home, food and clothes. The income still would not be enough to send them off to college.

As the years have passed, more and more Hispanics are graduating high school and attending college. According to Pew Research, as of 2014, 35 percent of Hispanics were enrolled in a two or four-year college.

I attended Esperanza Academy’s college decision day back in May of 2017. The school is located in North Philadelphia and the majority of the population are Hispanics.

As I attended that special event, I could not believe that more than 30 Hispanic young men and women had fully committed to attend a university in the fall of 2017. To many, it may seem that 30 is very few, but to us Hispanics, it is more than enough to mean a difference.

It makes us proud because we come from homes where we have higher education than our elder family members. The numbers on those statistics are a reminder of not just where we were but it is not where we will go. No matter how high or low those numbers are, we will continue to work hard and succeed.

Some people are the first generation to even attend at least a semester in college. It helped me realized how fast the Hispanic community is growing all around the world. No matter where you come from or what race you are, always remember: “Yes, you can.” Better yet, remember: “Sí se puede!”