Each tells his or her own story, with the result that the accumulation of stories provides a vivid portrayal of the current state of Latina/os in American colleges and universities. The book is unique in that it includes essays by well-established scholars and administrators, newer professors who are negotiating the road to promotion and tenure, and graduate students who are preparing to enter the professorial pipeline. It should be noted that, unlike many other similar volumes, the focus of this book is not solely on Mexican Americans or Chicana/os, who are the largest Latina/o group, but includes all Latina/o populations. The essays in this book are intended to provide an understanding of the underlying reasons for the under-representation of Latina/os at each level of higher education, and to recommend actions for those currently in the higher education power structure to take to remedy that under-representation. Yet, despite their growth in the general population, Latina/os remain underrepresented in higher education, and among all ethnic and racial groups have the lowest rate of college completion.
What are the difficulties encountered by Latino/a students in making the transition from high school to college, and what obstacles to success do they encounter once in college? What is it like to be one of very few Latino/a students in a graduate program, having no mentors who can truly relate to your background and cultural experience? What are the barriers to promotion and tenure that must be overcome by young Latino/a assistant professors? What does it take for a new Latino/a administrator to establish his or her credibility and leadership in a predominantly Anglo institution? And finally, what must we do to overcome the current under-representation of Latina/os at all levels of higher education? These and other questions are explored in this volume of essays by a diverse group of Latina/os in higher education.Īs the editors state in the preface, "Latina/os are the fastest growing minority group in the United States," and one of every eight persons in the United States is of Latino descent. Jeanett Castellanos and Lee Jones (Editors). The Majority in the Minority: Expanding the Representation of Latina/o Faculty, Administrators and Students in Higher Education.
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