A National Survey on Latino youth was released Friday by the Pew Hispanic Center. The study found that many Latinos have attitudes that contradict their behavior. For example, Latino youth care about education, hard work, career success, and are optimistic about their futures. However, they are also more likely to drop out of school, live in poverty, and become teen parents than other American youths. They also have high levels of exposure to gangs.

The survey was conducted on Aug 5 through Sept 16, 2009 and questioned 2,012 young people, ages 16-25. The study found that Latinos are not only the largest minority population in the U.S, but also the youngest. One-in-five school children in the U.S. are Latino and one-in-four newborns is Latino. These numbers alone, show that young Latinos will shape the kind of society American becomes in the 21st century.

The survey compared Latino youth of different backgrounds. It compared foreign born with native born, and first generation to later generations (second, third and higher).

98 percent of native-born Latino youth are twice as more proficient in English and 59 percent of them are enrolled in high school or college. Native born youth are also twice as likely as foreign born youth to have ties to a gang or to have gotten into a fight or carried a weapon in the past year.

The study also looked at teenage mothers (18-19-year-olds). It found higher percentages of first generation teen moms than those of other generations.

The survey also asked the young people if they preferred to be referred to as Latino, Latina, or Hispanic. (Using the word Latino or Latina allows you to identify the gender of the person opposed to Hispanic—which represents a whole group without any gender specifics.) According to the survey 52 percent of the young people preferred identifying themselves to their family’s country of origin. While 20 percent were satisfied with Latino or Hispanic.

The data represents a reality check about the Latino community -- at least for me. As a young Latina, I can’t help but to look at the groups that describe me—foreign born and first generation. The data about these groups shows the many obstacles they face in their environment. It drives home for me that people like me believe in the American dream and have a lot of ideals, but have a hard making those dreams a reality.
Previously:

• Latinos To The Rescue
• Young Latinos React To Swine Flu Racism
• Wal-Mart's New Plan To Target Latinos

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