‘Mexican Americans Don’t Value Education!’—On the Basis of the Myth, Mythmaking, and Debunking
According to the reading, what is the real reason why Mexican Americans struggle in schools?
Inequitable schools, political, and institutional structures create obstacles for students to succeed academically.
Name one reason researchers found that explained why attendance rates for Mexican American students were low.
One of the reasons why Mexican American students had low attendance rates was because they “had no shoes to wear, no clothes to wear, too sick, or they had to work”.
Explain the difference between external and internal involvement in regards to Mexican American families and education.
External involvement includes participation in PTA events and volunteer work, while internal involvement includes involvement within the home, such as motivating kids to succeed in school and helping with homework.
The idea that students, particularly of low socioeconomic backgrounds, fail in schools because they and their families have internal defects and deficits that thwart their thinking and skillset.
Deficit Thinking
What are the 5 ways that Mexican Americans have debunked the myth and shown that they actually do care about their education?
Litigation, Advocacy Organizations, Individual Activists, Political Demonstrations, and Legislation.