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Earning her bachelor\u2019s degree from the University of California at Riverside was surreal for Angelina Chavez, the culmination of overcoming her imposter syndrome and embracing the efforts of her mothers, who walked the stage with her during the Latinx ceremony.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were both wearing one of my sashes,\u201d said Chavez, 23, referring to her Mexican flag and first-generation sashes. \u201cThey are living their experience of pursuing higher education through me, and that is something that I value so much.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chavez\u2019s moms, who immigrated from Mexico, encouraged her to get good grades and pursue as many extra-curricular activities as possible. Nevertheless, Chavez\u2019s path to college wasn\u2019t easy. Her parents had a limited understanding of SAT scores, advanced placement classes and how to apply to U.S. colleges.<\/p>\n
While the number of Latinos \u2014 the nation\u2019s largest minority group \u2014 graduating college has increased in the last two decades, they remain underpaid and underrepresented in the workforce, a reality that may require more Latinos in positions of power to facilitate change.<\/p>\n
From 2000 to 2021, the number of Hispanic women earning advanced degrees climbed by 291%, and by 199% among Hispanic men, according to U.S. Census Bureau data analyzed by the Pew Research Center.<\/p>\n
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said those gains can be attributed to efforts by policy leaders to address disparities in achievements and outcomes and, despite\u00a0attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion programs<\/a>, he expects graduation rates in the Hispanic community to continue to rise.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the country recognizes the importance of making sure we invest in all of our students, including our Latinos,\u201d said Cardona, who is of Puerto Rican heritage. \u201cWe have just as much potential as everyone else to be successful.\u201d<\/p>\n According to census data, 21% of Hispanics ages 18 to 34 were enrolled in higher education in 2021, compared with 23% of white non-Hispanics. Pew found that 7% of Latinos aged 25 or older held a graduate degree in 2021, up from 4% in 2000, but still far fewer than 14% among all others in that age group.<\/p>\n Excelencia in Education, a nonprofit research and policy institute, found that more Latinos are gaining credentials in STEM and healthcare, up 44% from 2005 to 2020. Yet Latinos remain underrepresented in those fields.<\/p>\n U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics<\/a>\u00a0from 2021 show only 7% of computer and information system managers and architectural and engineering managers are Hispanic, compared to at least 72% who are white. In healthcare, Latinos represent 21% of workers compared to whites, who command 65% of the workforce.<\/p>\n Excelencia in Education co-founder and CEO Deborah Santiago said many Latinos aren\u2019t getting beyond associate degrees and college certificates because they have to work their way through school, and they often lack the necessary support or guidance to progress to a bachelor\u2019s or move up the career ladder.<\/p>\n Labor Bureau data shows Latinos are underrepresented in higher-paying positions and are most often employed in production, transportation, farming, construction and maintenance occupations. In 2021, only 25% of Latinos in the workforce were employed in management or professional occupations.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile it\u2019s important that we are in service industries, we should also be in those white-collar jobs that pay more,\u201d Santiago said. \u201cWe have a strong work ethic. We value higher education, but we need to have industry and institutions meet us part of the way and help us see the opportunities to those higher salaries.\u201d<\/p>\n It was that mindset that helped Alexia Iman Burquez, who earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in political science and international relations in 2019, to move from her job on Capitol Hill to a higher paying position with Google<\/a> in Los Angeles. A daughter of Mexican immigrants, Burquez says she doesn\u2019t want to be overworked and underpaid.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing a first gen, I knew that although I wanted to make a difference in my community, I didn\u2019t want to sacrifice myself and perpetuate the same cycles of poverty that I came from,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Cardona believes more nonwhite Hispanic people holding bachelor\u2019s degrees will translate to greater representation in positions of power. Once there, Latinos can create pathways for more access and higher-paying positions.<\/p>\n \u201cI am a Latino secretary of education and I know the value of diversity, not only with Latinos, but with other cultures as well,\u201d Cardona said. \u201cSo, there is a greater likelihood that because I\u2019ve experienced it, I am more likely to see the value in people who come with diverse backgrounds\u201d<\/p>\n However, pay disparities endure.<\/p>\n