The primary factors for the growth of the Hispanic population are immigration and high fertility among immigrants, the report said. Policies must be sensitive to the Hispanic culture, said Dr. Rolando Diaz-Loving, professor of psychology at Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico.
Charles Kamasaki, the executive vice president of the National Council of La Raza, said Suro’s paper puts to rest “some of the slanders from anti-immigration policymakers,” especially regarding cultural values of immigrant families.
He said programs to encourage college participation must be a high priority among policymakers.
“There must be culturally competent programs,” Kamasaki said. “People must go to their homes and encourage college prep programs.”
Two organizations that are making outreach efforts toward are Avance and Urban Strategies, which help low-income Hispanic families through educational and counseling programs. Lisa Cummins, president of Urban Strategies reiterated the need for allocation of funds and better research.
“It is important to respect the families that want to participate in Head Start programs,” said Sylvia Garcia, president and CEO of Avance. “They want to gain access to resources, and respecting the culture will have to be part of the long-term policy.”
--Associated Press
There are currently 0 comments on this story.
Click here to post a comment
© Copyright 2005 by DiverseEducation.com
