“I had (my dreams) on hold, I had to . . .”: Mexican Descent Youth Discuss Factors That Lead to Leaving High School

Abstract

Despite Latinx students having the second highest rates of dropouts compared with other racial/ethnic groups, few studies qualitatively examine how Latinx youth view the academic and family contexts of leaving school. In this study, 16 Mexican descent youth from low-income backgrounds discussed why they felt pushed out of high school in focus groups. Grounded theory analysis revealed that youth perceive a lack of caring within schools and feel that they are blamed for lack of academic progress. Some youth felt they had to put their dreams on hold due to family stressors and lack of school resources—yet, they sustained hope for future career aspirations.