Key takeaways:
- Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy and UnidosUS have revealed that high school textbooks used across the United States largely ignore Latino history.
- The study found that only 28 of the 222 important topics related to Latino history were covered well.
- The authors are calling for a comprehensive review of textbooks used in U.S. high schools to ensure that Latino history is properly represented.
A new study by Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy and UnidosUS, a national Latino advocacy and research organization, has revealed that high school textbooks used across the United States largely ignore Latino history.
The study found that only 28 of the 222 important topics related to Latino history were covered well, leaving out many aspects of the Mexican-American War, the Spanish-American War, the U.S. acquisition of Puerto Rico, the Panama Canal, the modern civil rights movement, Cold War politics, and legal developments shaping the Latino experience.
The report comes at a time when the U.S. Hispanic population is growing rapidly, largely driven by births rather than by immigration. Despite this growth, the percentage of Latino students in U.S. high schools is still low, and the lack of coverage of Latino history in textbooks is a major contributing factor.
UnidosUS President and CEO Janet Murguía said in a statement, “It is unacceptable that the contributions of Latinos to the United States are largely absent from the textbooks used in our schools.” She added, “We must ensure that our students have access to a comprehensive education that includes the history of all Americans.”
The study’s authors are calling for a comprehensive review of textbooks used in U.S. high schools to ensure that Latino history is properly represented. They also recommend that states and school districts develop and implement standards for teaching Latino history.
Be First to Comment