Edu-Que-tion

    Juan Castillo wrote an article about the ever growing Hispanic population and whether or not these people will push the economy or be left out.  

    He argues that the there is an education gap plaguing the Hispanic culture.  This education gap eludes to the skills and knowledge needed to man high skill, high pay jobs, which most Hispanics do not posses.  While things have improved for the Hispanic people, because of  the help of community coming together and work of scholars, we are still trying to understand the variables which influence education for Hispanics. 

    Programs like MALES (Mentoring to Achieve Latino Education Success) have developed due to the education gap, to reach out to the Hispanic youths, so these youngsters may have educational advice to attain the highest education degree possible, and do so constructively and honestly.

    At the height of Castillo’s argument, he states the Board of Education has been chastised by the Hispanic community to include more events in history in which Mexicans have contributed to American or Texan glory, in order to instill an ethnic pride amongst the youth.

    Mr. Castillo often reports on race, minority related issues, writing and editing for Texas newspapers and radios.  Here, he  is reaching out to the Hispanic community to gather fellow Hispanics for the purpose of serving bigger roles within the community.

    I do agree with his point to an extent, but such a point has become tiresome to me.  Few actions of people genuinely fill me with awe and happiness, and the fact that there is a group of people working together to educate and mentor adolescents is the pinnacle of my list.  I believe education will truly help us solve the multitude of problems we face every day.

    Here is where I disagree.  At the top of his editorial there is a video reporting of the 28,000 increase in children under the age of 18 , from 2000 to 2010, 92% of the increase were Hispanic.  Also the non-Hispanic median age is 32 while the Hispanic median age is 26. This data mixed with the education gap says more and more Hispanic people are prioritizing family building over education or career.  I’m not saying one is more important than the other but I feel a lack of education can produce difficult situations and poor health decisions, which might explain the low median age. For example a lack of education might explain unhealthy diets and lifestyles which my lead to a lower life expectancy which would also in turn lower the median age.

   There are obviously more factors than this but at some point we also have to stop blaming everyone else for our dilemmas.  A good education can be hard to come by, but if the individual can put an effort into books and intellect as much as is put into social media gossip, a more fruitful knowledge can be attained, meaning better opportunities, and better roles in community.

Poor Texas...

    The author of http://www.kitco.com/news//2013-09-23/EDITORIAL-For-too-many-Texans-poverty-erodes-opportunity.html argues the growth in the Texan economy due to oil has misled the public.  Though the job market has increased the number of jobs in Texas, these jobs have not provided Texans with the money to get out poverty or afford healthcare.

    As you read, the argument is laid out very well introducing statistics of poverty levels and state growth of Texas compared to the national level, and then seasons the argument with bad state politics.

   The evidence used to support comes from various stories from Texas news such as the story regarding the lack of money to fix the damaged rural roads from passing energy trucks that will be paved with gravel, and Gov. Perry’s refusal to expand Medicare for our impoverished; to the data pulled from various sources discussing the stats of our poor.

    The clarity of the democratic voice is heard, and the target is the Texan; calling for change, though the voice is subtle.  This is a topic for debate during the election year.

    This article brings up some very important issues that the state government is not addressing or has been dodging from for the past couple of years.  It’s important to know the importance of giving businesses a long leash to operate as freely as possible as to produce growth.  However, when the leash becomes used to strangle the environment in which we seem to forget; we dwell and choke a few people we choose to ignore. The line must be drawn to show corporations the responsibility of their actions like the law holds Texans responsible for their actions. 

    In conclusion I agree with the author.  Yes Texas has weathered the secession but while we spend time idly by bragging of this, we slide deeper into poverty.