Philip Wingeier-Rayo, Pfeiffer University

Philip Wingeier-Rayo is associate professor of religion at Pfeiffer University, where he teaches in the areas of theology, missions, and cultural anthropology. He is the author of Cuban Methodism: The Untold Story of Survival and Revival (Dolphins and Orchids, 2006) and Where Are the Poor: An Ethnographic Study of Base Christian Communities and Pentecostalism in Cuernavaca, Mexico (Wipf and Stock, 2011).

Hispanics/Latinos in Higher Education, By the Numbers

The results of the 2010 Census are out, with some expected demographic trends increasing and some other surprises cropping up. As expected, the United States continues to become more ethnically diverse, with Hispanics/Latinos in particular increasing to 50.5 million, or 16 percent of the population. It is also not very surprising that Hispanics/Latinos accounted for more than half of the growth of the United States between 2000 and 2010. This growth is greatest among persons of Mexican descent, who increased from 20.6 million to 31.8 million. What is surprising about this, however, is that for the first time births surpassed immigration growth in the Mexican-American community. This is due to higher birth rates among Hispanics/Latinos and a generally younger population (see www.pewhispanic.org). Another surprise is that the greatest growth of Hispanics has been in states that have not historically had a strong Hispanic/Latino presence. For example, South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, and North Carolina all experienced more than a 100 percent growth in the last decade. As a teacher at a small liberal arts college in one of these states, I can’t help but wonder how these demographic shifts will influence teaching in my classroom.

Although enrollment figures reveal that there are greater numbers of Hispanic/Latinos going to college, the overall percentage of these students pursuing higher education is still quite low. The Educational Attainment Parity Indicator (EAPI) is a tool to measure the actual number of adults with a BA relative to a minority’s population. According to the EAPI, minority education attainment increased from 1960 to 1980, but has declined since then. In the book Higher Education and the Color Line: College Access, Racial Equity, and Social Change (Harvard Education Press, 2005), the authors examine many areas that influence educational opportunities for ethnic minorities in America today, such as admissions, financial aid, retention, and job placement. A chapter by Michael Kurlaender and Stella Flores confirms the disparity gap that I also see in my classroom. While 16 percent of Whites obtain their BA, only 5 percent of Hispanics do so. This statistic becomes even more troublesome when coupled with the fact that the earnings differential between college and high school graduates is at an all-time high (65 percent). A chapter by David Karen and Kevin J. Dougherty points out the importance of higher education as a passport to middle-class success and the democratization of society. I think all of us who have chosen the vocation of university teaching know this in our gut, which is part of what motivates us in this profession. 

A basic factor that keeps many Hispanics, as well as people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, away from college is the cost of tuition. Every year tuition gets more expensive and the budget crisis has caused a financial aid shift from Pell Grants to student loans. For example, in 1979–1980, a low-income family would have spent 1/5 of its income to pay for college after financial aid; in 2001–2002, the same family would have to spend 37 percent of its income. There is also growing criticism (and even questioning) of the value associated with the cost of a college degree. This question was examined, in part, in the study by Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa, highlighting the underwhelming educational gains of a four-year college experience. 

Given the high cost of a college degree, the perceived barriers to enroll, and the questions around the value, it is no wonder that I have yet to see the impact of the 2010 Census report in my classroom at a four-year private college. In fact, my institution saw a decrease in the Hispanic/Latino enrollment from 2009 to 2010 from 4 percent of the student body to 2 percent. This decrease is heightened by the increase of this population group in the state and region, leading me to ask if other similar institutions are experiencing the same trend. Without any statistics to back it up, my hunch would be that a good percentage of college-bound Hispanics in my region of the country are going the community college route. Nevertheless, given the dramatic growth of the Hispanic/Latino population that the 2010 Census reveals (especially among young people), I ask, “What can my institution and I, as a teacher, do differently to make Hispanics and other ethnic minorities more welcome?”

Since we know from the 2010 Census report that the Hispanic/Latino population is growing in the United States — the Census predicts that this sector will reach 132 million by 2050 — and that this shift is real, I must work toward making my classroom and my institution more welcoming for Hispanic/Latino students. Given the decrease in Hispanic students at my institution, both I myself and my school need to improve our hospitality.

I obviously have more control over my classroom than I do the whole institution, so I start by trying to make my classroom a safe learning environment for all my students. I begin on the first day of class by inviting students to create a learning contract. I ask all students to reflect on positive and negative learning experiences in the past, and then to set ground rules to avoid the forgettable classroom experiences of the past and strive toward a community of respect for differences. I learned this idea from Tina Pippin, who teaches at Agnes Scott College. While I don’t single out Hispanic/Latino students or any other particular group in the classroom, I do make it clear to the whole class that in addition to office hours I have an open-door policy and am available for any questions — as long as my door is open (which it usually is). 

Since my institution is not particularly diverse, I especially encourage students from underrepresented groups to participate. After showing a video about the residential schools for First Nation people in Canada, for example, I was delighted when a student of the Mohawk tribe spoke about her grandmother’s experience growing up. I also sometimes approach Hispanic/Latino students individually before or after class and let them know that if English is their second language, they can speak to me in Spanish. Some welcome this opportunity and do so, while others prefer to continue in English. Importantly, however, I do not consider one person’s experience normative for a whole people and would never call on any student to speak. I merely attempt to create a welcoming environment and affirm the students who do speak up.

Making an institution more welcoming is difficult, but one can find allies and resources to assist in this task. For example, sometimes a school’s mission and vision statement include affirmations of diversity that can assist in shifting resources to meet institutional goals and priorities. If the goal of the institution is to grow its enrollment, then certainly the increase in the Hispanic/Latino population, particularly among young people, must catch the eye of enrollment management. Just as any business reads the United States Census report, many colleges want to get their “market share” of the Hispanic population. The importance of close family ties makes attending a school close to home — and perhaps even commuting — an attractive option. In the case of my school, 62 percent of the student body comes from within the state, and so the prospective Hispanic student already fits the profile. Making a change as small as having a Spanish option on the institution’s website (and there are free translation programs available) can give the impression of being a Hispanic-friendly school. Although the prospective students will have a high school degree and speak English, their parents may not and might appreciate the ability to read about the school in Spanish.  

One might also find sympathetic allies in certain offices across campus, such as student services, admissions, financial aid, and even athletics, who could help create a welcoming environment. On more than one occasion I have invited the Hispanic/Latino students out for coffee or a meal. I have suggested organizing some activities together to foment a support group to help with the loneliness and cultural issues unique to Hispanic/Latino students studying on a primarily Anglo-Saxon campus. 

Lastly, one can look at other schools that are more successful in recruiting and retaining ethnic minority students and what they are doing to value diversity. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t always take a lot of money to have the support system in place for ethnic minorities to excel, but the school must be intentional about making people feel at home.    

As I try to make the few Hispanic students welcome and prepare for greater enrollment in the future, I am already preparing non-Latino students to live and work in the current multicultural society that the 2010 Census describes. As an educator I feel a duty to help my students be culturally competent in order to succeed in a variety of settings. I particularly view my introductory course in world religions as an important opportunity to expand horizons, break down stereotypes, and complexify issues for the typical undergraduate student. Therefore, I attempt to bring intercultural pedagogies into my coursework. These methods range from those that are almost effortless to others that are very time-consuming. 

Some of the easiest yet effective methods are choosing textbooks written by non-Anglo-Saxon authors, showing videos from a variety of cultural perspectives, and bringing in a guest speaker with a multicultural perspective, either in person or via Skype. For example, a couple of years ago Justo Gonzalez gave our fall convocation, and I have continued to assign his books for classes. I have also invited guest speakers via Skype from Cambodia, El Salvador, Haiti, and Scotland.

Pedagogies requiring more time and effort involve taking the class on an immersion program to a Hispanic/Latino community, participating in a service-learning project, creating internship opportunities, having a cultural competency requirement (for a class or a program), and providing study abroad experiences for students. For a local immersion experience I have made contact with a church in the community that hosts a Head Start program for children and has received a grant to teach ESL classes for adults. I have taken students to teach a guest class and interact with the community. On a larger scale, I lead an international service-learning program each year to countries such as Brazil, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Mexico. This experience working with a local organization to advance their goals usually involves hands-on construction or children’s programs and sometimes language instruction and home stays. This year I am also expanding my own horizons by taking a group to India for the first time. 

The results of the 2010 Census report have tremendous implications for the racial demographics of the United States, particularly the tremendous growth of the Hispanic/Latino population among younger generations of Americans. Although there are a variety of barriers that keep Hispanic/Latinos from enrolling in four-year institutions — financial barriers not being the least — we can begin by making our classrooms and schools more welcoming. Particularly in our classroom pedagogies, we have the power to use learning strategies to stretch the minds of all to prepare to be effective in a more culturally diverse society.