ABSTRACT
Although Latinos/as have had a long-standing presence in the United States and despite their pioneering eff orts in addressing issues of educational equity, educational outcomes for Latino/a students have been largely problematic. For instance, dropout rates, an oft en disputed yet widely popular indicator of academic failure, refl ect an alarming state of aff airs for Latino/a youth (Orfi eld, 2004). Census Bureau estimates suggest that almost one-quarter of all Latinos/as in the United States between the ages of 16 and 19 have not completed and are not currently enrolled in high school (U.S. Census Bureau, 2003). Statistics for older Latinos/as are similarly bleak. Educational research and personal narratives emerging from the Latino/a community suggest that dropout rates may in fact be underreported (Conchas & Rodríguez, 2003; Noguera, 2003). Th is lack of academic success presents serious implications that reverberate within and well beyond the Latino/a population.
