Dropping Out Among Language Minority Youth

Abstract

Dropping out of high school among language minority youngsters, a group characterized by an extremely high dropout rate, has seldom been examined. In this review, direct and indirect evidence concerning school-leaving among language minority youth is discussed. Generally speaking, it appears that the combination of socioeconomic disadvantage and early academic failure—a combination known to be predictive of dropping out—contributes to the higher dropout rate of language minority youngsters. Interestingly, however, although the evidence is by no means unequivocal, studies conducted to date suggest that dropping out is more prevalent among language minority youngsters from Hispanic backgrounds than among other non-English-speaking youngsters. Four hypotheses concerning the higher dropout rate of language minority Hispanics are discussed: (a) It is a socioeconomic artifact; (b) there exist ethnic group differences in the pressure parents place on youngsters to learn and use English; (c) school personnel interact more negatively with Spanish-speaking youngsters than with other language minority youth; and (d) differences in dropout rates are attributable to differences in the circumstances surrounding youngsters’ immigration to the United States.