Over the past month educators at the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) have been trumpeting new state statistics that indicate a dramatic cut in the number of high school dropouts. Though this is good news, we shouldn't ignore the growing "Latino achievement gap" in the region.
Changing the status quo on student retention is critical, as teenagers that fall through the cracks will dramatically diminish our region's economic growth and prosperity. Adults who drop out of high school are more likely to be poor, unemployed, be in poorer health and spend time in the corrections system. A high school dropout is the loss of not only thousands of taxpayer dollars, but the loss of a young resident who will find it harder to compete in our globalized economy, where higher skills and academic degrees are required to attain high-paying employment. READ FULL STORYRead more…
In 1982 a group of young professional Latinas came together with an ambitious goal.
They wanted to create an organization that would support Hispanic women, celebrate their accomplishments but also empower them to become leaders.
That's how Latinas Unidas was born.
Now their baby is turning 15.
So in typical Latina fashion, the organization is celebrating this coming of age with a quinceañera.
"We're ready to announce to the world that this little girl is all grown up," said Daisy Rivera Algarin, president of Latinas Unidas. READ FULL ARTICLERead more…
When it comes to preventing cancer, information is key but a new study suggests Hispanics aren’t likely to look for it.
83% of Spanish-speaking Hispanics have never looked for cancer information compared to 48% of non-Hispanics, according to the American Cancer Society and The National Cancer Institute.
36-year-old breast cancer survivor Veronica Torres says it was hard to navigate the system but her advice is to be brave and get help. "I understand what they're going through,” she said. “Don't be scared. There's a lot of help out there that you can find. There's some good people and doctors.”
Some doctors say Hispanics may not want to seek help possibly because of cultural or economic issues. "I think some of the issues are economic,” said Dr. James Young, an oncologist at Penrose-St. Francis. “Some of the newly emigrated Hispanic population is fearful that contact with the health system will result in contact with immigration authorities.” READ FULL STORYRead more…
