The New School Graduate Program in International Affairs

Latinos are the largest and fastest growing minority group in the United States and account for 15% of the total population. The Latino community is diverse and has a growing immigrant population. Thirty-eight percent of Latinos were born outside of the U.S. (NCES, 2003). Twenty-nine percent of native-born Latinos have at least one parent who was foreign-born (NCES, 2003). According to a Pew Hispanic Center report, there are 10 million Hispanic students in the U.S. public schools from kindergartens to high schools; they make up about one-in-five public school students in the country. The decision to drop out is complex and relates to the individual student – and their family, school and community. The decision is personal, reflects their unique life circumstances, and is part of a slow process of disengagement from school (Bridgeland, Dilulio and Burke, 2006). In this paper I will explain, first, the difference between foreign-born immigrant students and immigrant students’ statistics. The second section will explain immigrant students’ behavior as they get adjusted to the new culture. The third section looks into the dropout rate of Latina/os. A fourth section is dedicated to teen pregnancy among Latinas, and the last section on programs and public schools policies.