Degree attainment rates are increasing for US Latinos but pay disparities remain

Earning her bachelor’s 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 at the Latinx ceremony.

“They were both wearing one of my sashes,” said Chavez, 23, referring to her Mexican flag and first-generation sashes. “They live their higher education experience through me, and that is something that I value so much.”

Chavez’s mothers, who immigrated from Mexico, encouraged her to get good grades and participate in as many extracurricular activities as possible. Nevertheless, Chavez’s road to college was not easy. Her parents had a limited understanding of SAT scores, Advanced Placement classes, and how to apply to American colleges.

Although the number of Latinos—the nation’s largest minority group—has increased over the past two decades, they remain underpaid and underrepresented in the workforce, a reality that may need more Latinos in positions of power to make change happen.

According to U.S. Census Bureau data analyzed by the Pew Research Center, between 2000 and 2021, the number of Hispanic women earning advanced degrees increased by 291%, and among Hispanic men by 199%.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said these gains can be attributed to efforts by policy leaders to address disparities in achievement and outcomes.

“I think the country recognizes the importance of making sure that we invest in all of our students, including our Latinos,” said Cardona, who is of Puerto Rican descent. “We have as much potential as everyone else to be successful.”

According to census data, 21% of Hispanics ages 18 to 34 were pursuing higher education in 2021, compared to 23% of white non-Hispanics. Pew found that 7% of Latinos age 25 or older earned a college degree in 2021, up from 4% in 2000, but still far less than 14% among everyone else in that age group.

Excelencia in Education, a nonprofit research and policy institute, found that more and more Latinos are gaining credentials in STEM and health care, up 44% from 2005 to 2020. Yet Latinos remain underrepresented in those fields.

The 2021 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that only 7% of computer and information systems administrators and architecture and engineering managers are Hispanic, compared to at least 72% who are white. In health care, Latinos represent 21% of workers, compared to whites, who hold 65% of the workforce.

Excelencia in Education co-founder and CEO Deborah Santiago said many Latinos don’t get beyond an associate degree and college diploma because they have to work their way through school and often don’t have the necessary support or guidance to move on to a bachelor’s degree or higher. the career ladder.

Labor Bureau data shows that Latinos are underrepresented in higher-paying positions and most often work in manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, construction and maintenance occupations. In 2021, only 25% of Latinos in the workforce were employed in management or professional occupations.

“While it is important that we are in the service sector, we should also be in the white-collar jobs that pay better,” Santiago said. “We have a strong work ethic. We value higher education, but we need to make sure that industry and institutions are part of the way and help us see the possibilities of those higher salaries.

It was that mindset that helped Alexia Iman Burquez, who earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and international relations in 2019, move from her job on Capitol Hill to a higher-paying position at Google in Los Angeles. Burquez, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, says she doesn’t want to be overworked and underpaid.

“As a first-generation, I knew that while I wanted to make a difference in my community, I didn’t want to sacrifice myself and perpetuate the same cycles of poverty that I came from,” she said.

Cardona believes that more non-white Hispanic people with bachelor’s degrees will translate to greater representation in positions of power. Once there, Latinos can create routes to greater access and better-paying positions.

“I am a Latino secretary of education and I know the value of diversity, not just among Latinos, but among other cultures,” Cardona said. “So it is more likely that, because I have experienced it, I am more likely to see the value of people with different backgrounds”

However, wage differences remain.

Census data analyzed by the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute show that Latinas with a bachelor’s degree or higher earn an average of $26 per hour, less than most college-educated workers regardless of race and gender, said co-author Misael Galdámez, senior research analyst at UCLA . Similarly-educated white men earn $14 more than Latina women.

Latinos generally earn the lowest salaries compared to other races. According to Labor Bureau data, the average weekly wage for a full-time Latino worker in 2021 was $777, compared to $1,328 for Asians, $1,018 for whites and $801 for African Americans.

“One of the reasons we think this is the case is representation in appeals,” Galdámez said. “Latinas in particular, many of them still work in office administrative roles, which tend to pay lower than if you were working in a STEM field, for example, or if you were in a management position or a CEO.”

Since graduating, Chavez has worked for a marketing company and volunteered at COOP Careers, a nonprofit focused on helping first-generation and low-income students.

“Many of my colleagues are people of color,” she said. “I find it very powerful to know that I am making a difference, especially being first-generation and having this impact firsthand.”

Burquez said her first-generation friends encouraged her to ask for a raise instead of just being grateful that she worked at a top tech company.

“It’s taxing that we have to be our best advocates, but if we don’t stand up for ourselves, no one else will,” she said. “Closed mouths are not fed.”