{"id":4387,"date":"2020-12-14T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-14T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/the-roar.net\/?p=4387"},"modified":"2021-09-16T07:54:10","modified_gmt":"2021-09-16T14:54:10","slug":"hsi-grant-creates-path-to-greater-equity-for-latinx-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/the-roar.net\/?p=4387","title":{"rendered":"HSI Grant Creates Path to Greater Equity for Latinx Students"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"San
METAS student at Google Headquarters in Mountain View, California.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSan Jos\u00e9, California in Silicon Valley is one of the richest, most technologically forward cities on planet Earth. The industries and employers here think, work and earn globally. But for Latinx, the Silicon Valley experience is markedly less glowing,\u201d said Dr. Elizabeth Gonzalez, SJCC\u2019s Grant Manager of HSI Initiatives.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gonzalez’s statement speaks to one of the greatest inequities we see in Silicon Valley. But an initiative here at San Jos\u00e9 City College \u2014 the Ganas Project \u2014 aims to narrow this gap. The project has been awarded a five-year $2.9 million HSI grant from the U.S. Department of Education. It will focus particularly on student pathways for STEM, public health, and teaching careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s one of our most comprehensive initiatives yet. And we\u2019re thrilled for what it means for the future of our community. Here\u2019s how the Ganas Project will help SJCC better serve Hispanic students now, and for years to come. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

San Jos\u00e9 City College is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before we get into the Ganas Project, let\u2019s talk about SJCC and it\u2019s connection to the Hispanic (Latinx) community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is an HSI?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) formed in 1986, and it wasn\u2019t long before they began to acknowledge HSIs. Then, HACU pioneered efforts to get HSIs recognized by federal law \u2014 and they succeeded in 1995.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An HSI’s most notable requirement is to be an accredited degree granting institution with 25% or more Hispanic full-time or (full-time equivalent) students. You can check out all the requisites here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For years, San Jos\u00e9 City College has been a proud Hispanic-Serving Institution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Cultivamos
Cultivamos Excelencia<\/em> students and staff at UC Santa Cruz.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Latinx Students Face Systemic and Institutional Challenges<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSan Jos\u00e9, California in Silicon Valley is one of the richest, most technologically forward cities on planet Earth. […] But for Latinx, the Silicon Valley experience is markedly less glowing.\u201d<\/p>Elizabeth Gonzalez, Grant Manager of HSI Initiatives at SJCC<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re a Bay Area Latinx, you probably already know that inequality in Silicon Valley is rampant. But if you didn\u2019t, here\u2019s the data. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the American Community Survey, 2019<\/a> (U.S. Census Bureau) \u2014 the average annual earnings for Latinx adults over the age of 25 is less than half that of White and Asian residents ($24,238 compared to $59,011 for Whites and $52,649 for Asians). And only 16% of Latinx residents have a bachelor\u2019s degree compared to 64% for Asians and 58% for Whites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These stark numbers don\u2019t lie. In the same year, the U.S. Census Bureau also reported<\/a> that 32% of San Jos\u00e9 City\u2019s population was \u201cHispanic or Latino.\u201d So this disparity hits very close to home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Creates an Education and Wage Gap for Latinx?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The reasons for these inequities are numerous<\/a>, complex<\/a>, and long-standing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the bottom line is that Latinx students face academic discrimination<\/a> and systemic obstacles from an early age. They tend to be placed in underserved schools where there\u2019s a lack of Latinx representation in teachers<\/a>, some get little to no support as bilingual households<\/a>, and many come from hardworking families who can\u2019t give them the academic support they need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are just a few of the many reasons, which carry on into their higher-education journey \u2014 turning the education gap into a wage gap. Latinx students need reparative pathways to academic achievement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s critical for the students, but also because Latinx success impacts the health of the entire community. And it\u2019s important to note that supportive pathways don\u2019t mean covert segregation, and all students benefit from diversity<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"SJCC
SJCC student, Matthew Zarate participates in Peer Led Tutoring at the METAS Center on campus.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What Will the Ganas Project Do?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dr.Gonzalez outlined the objectives of the program here. \u201cThe Ganas Project will:<\/p>\n\n\n\n