Association of Mexican-American Educators (AMAE) Journal ©2013, Volume 7, Issue 1 73

The Latino Education Crisis: The Consequences of Failed Social Policies (2010).
Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.

By Patricia Gándara and Frances Contreras

Eden Cortez
University of Utah

In The Latino Education Crisis by Gándara and Contreras (2010), the authors offer an in-depth analysis 
of the American public school system that has historically failed to provide adequate and equitable education 
opportunities for the Latino population in the U.S.  In their book, they argue that the inadequate education of 
Latinos creates a barrier for social and economic mobility and if we fail to address the “low education achievement 
of Latino youth... we will have created a permanent underclass without hope of integrating into the mainstream 
or realizing their potential to contribute to American society” (p. 13-14).  Gándara and Contreras utilize national 
data on K-12 Latino education achievements, longitudinal studies, and students’ narratives to demonstrate the 
severity of having an undereducated emerging minority.  They address the education crisis by focusing on 
educational, socioeconomic, political, and immigration policies. This book provides ample information on the 
current state of Latinos in every sector of the education system as well as utilizes the students’ narrative to 
demonstrate the type of living conditions that can promote or hinder education achievement. 

Gándara and Contreras begin with an introduction chapter that provides their readers with background 
information on the current state of Latinos, especially “individuals of Mexican origin” (p. 7) or descent, in the 
U.S. This chapter allows readers to understand the complex education crisis that Mexican decent youth have and 
continue to endure in their educational trajectory. Immigration is a central topic in this chapter and Gándara and 
Contreras explain the relationship of immigration and education achievement by sharing studies that contradict 
the relation of low education achievement to immigration background. They conclude that immigrant students 
outperform their Latino native-born peers in the subject of English. Therefore, immigration cannot be the sole 
contributor of the low education achievement of Latino students. Gándara and Contreras explain that it is the 
current living conditions of Latinos in this society that impacts their education attainment. 
 In chapters one and two, Gándara and Contreras place into context the achievement gaps of Latinos 
students from kindergarten through high school by using multiple assessment data that constantly place Latinos 
at the low performing end. They also provide an in-depth discussion on educational landmark cases (Plyer v. 
Doe and Lau v. Nichols), affirmative action, standardize testing policies, and social conditions that contribute 
to the marginalization of Latinos in education and society. Further, the story of Carlos and Andrés, two of 
the many Latino students whose stories are present in this book, are brought forward to provide a social 
context of the lives of Latinos in the U.S. Gándara and Contreras seamlessly integrate Carlos and Andrés’s 
social and educational background into their book to shed light on the social conditions that impact, negatively 
or positively, the education attainment of high school and college Latino students. The stories of these two 
students, and others, help the readers understand that whether students have advantages or disadvantages (e.g., 
parent education background, socioeconomic status, and student education background) do not determine their 
success or failure in school. It is the “social context in which the students” (p. 55) grow up that can shape “their 
vision of the future” (p.55), and not having the necessary resources in their communities can impact their level 
of education achievement. 
 In chapter three, Gándara and Contreras make an argument that public schools are a critical component 
for “further occupational opportunities, but also key to” socializing Latinos “into American society” (p. 86) 
but many fail to provide such an opportunity for their students. The data provided by Gándara and Contreras 
illustrates the inadequate school facilities and poor educational instructions of public schools in predominantly 
low-income Latino neighborhoods. Gándara and Contreras end the chapter by emphasizing, “given the enormous 
barriers that Latino children face, is not evidence of a lack of intellectual ability,” (p. 120) a clear proof that our 
education system lacks support systems needed to facilitate a successful education.  
 Furthermore, chapter four is dedicated to answer the beliefs that language deficits cause low 

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Association of Mexican-American Educators (AMAE) Journal ©2013, Volume 7, Issue 1 74

education achievement in Latino students. Gándara and Contreras explore the perception that Latino children 
underperform in English due to their native language. By providing data from studies done on Latino students’ 
language acquisition, Gándara and Contreras questions such perceptions and places the data into an education 
context. Proving that a significant number of Latino children are English speakers (contrary to beliefs that they all 
are native Spanish speakers) and that native Spanish speakers outperformer Latino English speakers, contradicts 
the issue of language being associated with low education achievement. Bilingual education as well as language 
assessment is at the core of the discussion in this chapter. 
 Chapter five and six are connected by a common theme, the experiences of college-going Latinos/as who 
become resilient.  These two chapters provide the readers with an inside view of the lives of several Latino/a 
students, their hardships and successes, and the program that supported their transition from high school to 
college.  The story of Carlos and Andrés and six other Latino/a participants of the Puente program are shared 
in this section. The eight students represent a small sample group followed during and after their participation in 
the Puente program and transition to college. The stories of each student demonstrate how regardless of high 
or low education performance in high school (e.g., GPA, SATs, AP and IB courses) students living conditions can 
either promote a college-going culture or subdue their aspirations to attend college. By sharing the students’ 
stories and connecting their profile to national statistics on student achievement, Gándara and Contreras prove 
that even a high performing Latino/a student with all the characteristics that ensure that he/she will attend 
college can steer the opposite direction. There is no guarantee that a high GPA, SAT, and socioeconomic status 
can predict the overall success of Latino students. In fact, Gándara and Contreras highlight that Latinos who 
come from adverse backgrounds, and despite all odds, have manage to make it through K-12 and into college.  
Regardless of the success of these students, there are many how fall between the cracks of a failed public school 
system that is not serving its purpose, to educate those who have been historically marginalized, segregated, and 
oppressed. 
 In the last two chapters, Gándara and Contreras provide a wealth of information on intervention programs 
and they describe how to address, through seven initiatives, the several issues affecting Latino education.  The 
programs presented in chapter range from early childhood to college. Each program promotes and encourages 
a healthy and high educational environment for Latino parents and their children. In chapter eight, Gándara and 
Contreras address the “seven areas in which public policy acknowledges the interlocking nature of schools and 
communities,” (p. 307) therefore, changing the course “of academic achievement for Latino students” (p. 307). 
Gándara and Contreras recommendations are a small, but significant step to address the education crisis faced 
by many Latinos in the U.S. 
 Gándara and Contreras’s book provide a complete analysis of the K-12 public school systems and the 
implications it has on Latinos attending post-secondary education. Their work is admirable as it counteracts 
deficit beliefs that place Latino students from every sector of the education system at fault for their overall low 
education achievement. This book is a great addition to the body of knowledge produced on Latino education. 
It is an essential book to read. 

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Association of Mexican-American Educators (AMAE) Journal ©2013, Volume 7, Issue 1 75

Reference

Gándara, P., & Contreras, F. (2009). The Latino education crisis: The consequences of failed social policies. Cambridge, 
Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. 

The Latino Education Crisis