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Virginia Tech

Variations in Educational Attainment Among DIfferent Latino Subgroups

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

Census information indicates that Latinos are the largest minority school-age population, yet they represent a very small percentage of the students earning post-secondary degrees. Some contend that institutional discrimination, intertwined with racial ideologies are preventing Hispanics from achieving higher levels of education. The purpose of this study was to determine whether Latinos are less likely to complete at least a bachelor's degree than their non-Latino peers, and to determine if there are variations in educational attainment among the different Latino subgroups. This study aims to discover if these propositions are true by analyzing the High School and Beyond data set available through the Inter-University Consortium of Political and Social Research. Findings show that the aggregate, Hispanics, are indeed less likely to complete at least a bachelor's degree in comparison to their White and Asian peers. However, the differences between Hispanics and Blacks or Native American is not significant. Additionally, in terms of the subgroup analysis, Mexicans and Puerto Ricans are less likely to go to college then their Cuban peers. Finally, Cubans do not differ significantly from their Asian or White peers. These preliminary findings begin to illustrate the dangers in using a pan-ethnic label.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Sociology
Department dc:contributor.department
Sociology
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2002

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Garcia, Lisette Marie
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Bayer, Alan E.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Plummer, Ellen Wright
  • Hughes, Michael D.
  • Michaels, James W.

Subjects

dc:subject × 3

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-09152002-211404
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/35064

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Garcia, Lisette Marie. Variations in Educational Attainment Among DIfferent Latino Subgroups. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/35064