Depending on students\u2019 immigrant generation, parents of Hispanic young people (ages 14-18) use different social networks to support their children\u2019s enrollment in a four-year college or university. Schools and communities can better support Hispanic families by making use of these networks.<\/p>\n
Parents of third-generation Hispanic young people (meaning both parents were born in the USA) find it easier to use school-based social capital – connections with the school and access to the school\u2019s help – to prepare children for college. In contrast, parents of first-generation Hispanic youth (meaning the children were born outside the USA) benefit more from connections with other parents to get their children into college.<\/p>\n
Researchers, Sarah Ryan<\/a> and Robert Ream<\/a>, looked at Hispanic families of different generations and how parents access help through different social networks and different forms of \u201csocial capital\u201d. They examined:<\/p>\n They used data collected from 1,880 Hispanic young people between 2002 and 2006 as part of the Education Longitudinal Study<\/a>.<\/p>\n Overall, Hispanic young people remain less likely to obtain a bachelor\u2019s degree than white students who are similar in other characteristics\u2014a significant problem of inequality. Never before has college education been so important for economic and social wellbeing.<\/p>\n The research shows that social capital, though often overlooked, can help support college<\/a> preparation and successful enrollment among Hispanic youth. Schools and communities can do more to support Hispanic parents as they help their children prepare for four-year college. But this support must acknowledge the unique needs and assets of Hispanic parents across student immigrant generations.<\/p>\n\n