Hispanics 



Background. 



America's fastest growing minority 

 group, Hispanics comprise 9 per- 

 cent of the population, but only 2 

 percent of all employed scientists 

 and engineers. They hold 3 per- 

 cent of all bachelors' degrees and 

 2 percent of all Ph.D.s in science 

 and engineering. Hispanic women 

 earn slightly fewer bachelors' 

 degrees in science than Hispanic 

 men, but only one-sixth as many 

 bachelors' degrees in engineering. 

 Hispanics include Cuban immi- 

 grants who tend to belong to the 

 middle class and Mexican- Ameri- 

 cans and Puerto Ricans who fre- 

 quently belong to lower socio- 

 economic groups. Forty percent of 

 Hispanic children live in poverty. 



The Pipeline. 



Overwhelmingly, in schools in 

 poverty areas, many Hispanic 

 children receive an inadequate 

 basic education, including poor 

 instruction in mathematics and 

 science. High school completion 

 rates must be increased and early 

 mathematical and science instruc- 

 tion must be improved to attract 

 more Hispanic students to careers 

 in science and engineering. Of 

 Hispanic youth who study past 

 high school, the majority go to 2- 

 year colleges. Hispanics do not 

 have a network of 4-year colleges, 

 as do Blacks with the Historically 

 Black Colleges and Universities. 

 Many Hispanic parents have high 

 hopes for their children but often 

 do not encourage them to go to 

 college, especially if this requires 

 that they move from home. 



Scientists and Engineers Needed 



Bachelors' Degrees 



Received 

 1987 



&tf 



Doctorate Degrees 



Received 

 1987 



e-e- 



Needed Per Year 

 (1990-2000) 



^f^f^f^f^f^f 



Needed Per Year 

 (1990-2000) 



^l - 



- 5000 Students 



fl** = 100 Students 



22 



