Support and Barriers for Latino Male Students' Educational Pursuits: Perceptions of Counselors and Administrators

There has been an increasing educational achievement gap in the United States based on gender and race/ethnicity with regard to high school graduation and dropout rates and college enrollment and retention (Cataldi, Laird, & KewalRamani, 2009; Clark, Lee, Goodman, & Yacco, 2008; Schmidt, 2010). Educational reports reveal that women in the United States have significantly surpassed men not only in high school graduation rates, but also in university enrollment and degree completion, and this trend is predicted to increase through 2020 (Aud et al., 2011). The ratio of women to men for undergraduate enrollment is currently approximately 134:100 (Snyder & Dillow, 2011), with many major universities enrolling 60% or more female students. Recent data released by the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) show that, for the first time, women have surpassed men in obtaining both bachelor's degrees and advanced college degrees (Aud et al., 2011). More women than men are enrolling in graduate schools, and the percentage of women in many professional schools, such as medicine and law, has increased greatly in recent years (Aud et al., 2011). Researchers also recognize that the gender gaps in college enrollment and retention affects all racial and socioeconomic groups (Goldin, Katz, & Kuziemko, 2006). This trend is most prevalent in the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in America: the Latino student. In the decade 2000-2010, the U.S. Latino population increased from 13% to 16%, to over 50.5 million (Pew Hispanic Center, 2011). Snyder and Dillow (2011) found the dropout rate for Latinos (19.9% for men and 16.7% for women) remains higher than for any other racial group. Among 16- to 24-year-olds, compared to White and Black men, Latino men had the highest high school dropout rates: 5.4, 8.7, and 19.9%, respectively). Although the number of Latino men and women attending college has increased steadily over the past few decades, the proportional representation of Latino men continues to decrease relative to their female counterparts (Castellanos, Gloria, & Kamimura, 2006; Fry, 2009; Saenz & Ponjuan, 2009). This trend has been especially evident in secondary and postsecondary education in recent years, because Latino men are more likely to drop out of high school to join the workforce rather than to attend college and are also more likely to leave college before graduating (Clark, Flower, Oakley, & Walton, 2008; Fry, 2009; Solorzano, Villalpando, & Oseguera, 2005; Yosso & Solorzano, 2006). The percentage of Latino 12th-grade students who report that they plan to graduate from a 4-year college is lower than that of White and Black students and lower for men than for women (NCES, 2012). Additionally, the economic recession that has occurred in the last several years has greatly affected Latino men (Kochhar, Espinoza, & Hinze-Pifer, 2010). To suggest that either social stigmas or structural inequalities are to blame for the low rates of educational attainment among Latino male students reveals only part of the story, yet these issues highlight the social, cultural, and structural dimensions affecting the Latino male student's educational experience. Regardless of the context (e.g., urban, rural, immigrant), peer and cultural pressures among young men are strong and influential forces (Saenz & Ponjuan, 2009). Furthermore, structural inequities are pervasive issues within U.S. educational systems that continue to disproportionately affect poor and minority communities. Additionally, the strong influence of the Latino patriarchal and cultural norms imposes unique demands and expectations on Latino men (Saenz & Ponjuan, 2009). An essential aspect to understanding Latino male achievement is the influence of familismo--a concept of Latino cultural norms that involves the strong identification and attachment to immediate and extended family. The cultural expectations for the Latino man to work to contribute to the family's well-being rather than pursue a postsecondary degree can play a significant role in Latino men's educational aspirations and pursuits (Saenz & Ponjuan, 2009; Suarez-Orozco & Suarez-Orozco, 1995). …