ABSTRACT
Education is believed to be the conduit to social mobility. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act was the first legislation that provided special funding for children in poverty with compensatory programs. For many Latinos in the United States who have Mexican lineage, history includes colonization, assimilation, segregation, and inferior schooling. Despite many similarities in the educational experiences of Latino students there are marked differences in the histories of different Latino groups in the United States that have often been ignored and as such, contribute to the essentialization of asset-based practices. Despite sharing unfavorable outcomes rooted in poverty and inequitable schooling experiences there are marked historical differences that contextualize the genesis of the need for asset-based practices for Latino youth. By summarizing some of the salient historical markers for Mexican-descent students the relevance of asset-based practices can be better understood.
