Studies: Hispanic youth look for acceptance, often turn to gangs

Hispanic youths in North Carolina, struggling to find acceptance in U.S. culture, are increasingly turning to gangs and other self-destructive behavior, according to studies and those who follow the trends.

Nearly 9 percent of Hispanic high school students dropped out of high school in the 2005-06 school year – a rate higher than any other group in the state and double the rate of white students, according to state figures. More than half of Hispanic girls in North Carolina are expected to be pregnant before their 20th birthdays, according to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.

And the problems are getting worse, according to a national survey by New York University professor Marcelo Suarez-Orozco, which found that immigrant teens were doing worse in school five years after the study began.”*

Leave a Reply