Demographic Dilemma

Educators and policymakers are worried that despite a growing population, Hispanic college attendance and graduation rates haven’t changed in 20 years.

By Garry Boulard

As he enters his last semester of law school at the University of New

Mexico, Diego Esquibel remains convinced that he probably would not be where he is today had it not been for the unwavering support of his parents, who repeatedly insisted that he complete his formal education.
“Their thinking has always been that if I did not stick with it and instead went off in some other direction, I would essentially be closing doors for myself that should be open,” says Esquibel. “So sometimes, more for them than even for me, I have continued on. And now that I am so near to the end, I am really glad that I did.”

This year, Esquibel, 28, will not only be wrapping up his studies at UNM but also working in the local district attorney’s office in Albuquerque. He hopes the job will help him get a feel for the daily life of a public prosecutor.

But although he comes from a university with a growing percentage of Hispanic students, Esquibel is still more of the exception than the norm, especially when it comes to the graduate and professional schools.

“It is true that there are not as many Latino students at that level of education as we would like to see,” says Raul Gonzalez, education policy analyst with the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization. “That remains so across the board, in two-year schools, four-year schools and in graduate schools. It has been a problem that has been going on for a very long time.”

For educators and policymakers, the problem is particularly challenging because the lag has taken place during a time of dramatic growth in the country’s overall Hispanic population. Hispanics now comprise 14 percent of the national population, and their numbers are growing faster than any other demographic group. Many demographers believe the number will rise to 18 percent by 2020.