ABSTRACT
This paper examines the high dropout rate among second generation Dominican youth, the largest new immigrant group in New York City. Grounded in a structural perspective, the dropout problem is examined as a manifestation of the increasing economic inequality in larger society. The primary data for this study consist of in-depth interviews with Dominican students in two public high schools, as well as a focus group with Dominican youth that are members of a grassroots organization. The analysis focuses on the institutional constraints faced by both students and teachers. I find that students are highly critical of the pedagogical styles employed in their school. Many students are being funneled into GED programs. Other students comprise a new kind of dropout – those who are still enrolled in high school for the fifth or sixth year. Though students believe education is necessary for social mobility, some students, especially young men expressed concern about facing a job ceiling against them in the labor market. I end with some of the policy implications of my study.
