Why Latinos Must White Pass..

Due to history with racism “white passing” began within people of color. People of color wanted equal opportunities like white people and to part ways from their lives of being enslaved. Our identities are often lost during these transitions to simply be able to fit in.“White Passing” is talked about more in Black culture yet we don't realize that Latinos have to “white pass” as a way to be able to progress due to discrimination. Since injustices are continuously occurring,we are obligated to assimilate into a white dominant society in order to succeed and not be seen differently by society.




Latinos are minorities that don’t get the exact treatment as white people due to coming from other lands, and backgrounds. One of the prime hardships faced in our community begins from lack of education. One of the disadvantages Latinos have from succeeding are less job opportunities which is one of the main reasons we’re not financially stable. In Dirty Dozen, the writer states “when I started teaching, there wasn’t a single Latino in the state of Florida teaching law. There wasn’t a single Latino teaching in the state of New York. Some of these schools had well over 100 faculty and never had a Latino!” (McElhany,jim) Latinos aren't given the opportunity to prove society wrong and show their skills. They’re often from first generations which comes with less support and struggles with not having anyone to look up to. Latinos must white pass when applying for schools by learning English because it affects our pace of learning. Having less education affects our ability to grow businesses and live the American Dream of being wealthy.


Latinos are often dehumanized with names like “drug dealers, “rapists” “wetbacks” and much more. Reputation has a lot to do with networking, Latino’s are a target because we don’t defend ourselves as we’re called these names with a worry of being sent back to our own land. In “President Trump and the US Latinos” the text adds “Before and after his election, he promised to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border over 2,000 miles from Texas to California to keep out unsavory border transgressors” Trump threatens to end the opportunity of being on free land in order to have a better future, he deports immigrants for mistakes such as speeding tickets.We worry about speaking our own language because we're afraid to be racially profiled. Children are often a target and have to leave school which their only source of income to fall back on is the cartel. Parents bring their kids to pursue an education but they also have to make sacrifices. Latino children are told in schools they must speak English.Latinos are often sent to low income schools which don't have the best programs.


Coming from low income communities pushes us to work instead of going to school.We don't have hope in pursuing an education. In “Latino College Going and Graduation Rates Moving Up but Gaps Remaining” the writer includes “Graduation rates for Latino students are moving in the right direction, but these small gains are not enough. Six-year graduation rates for Latino students have inched up to 52 percent from 4< in 2002, but that's still far below the graduation rate for white students” Every school system is different, with higher crime rates not many teachers are willing to work in these communities. These issues are driving students to drop out: they are not being motivated to succeed or believe they will have a bright future. First generations want to set an example yet they have no one to guide them. White students are given more privilege and often have a better chance at finishing a college education due to their better understanding of the U.S History and the language.


In conclusion, racism has exponentially progressed within the black community yet passed onto more groups. The feeling of superiority in one group causes whites to want that upper hand with every minority. Latinos should not be afraid to speak up when they are being wrongly accused, being truthful will open more doors of opportunity. In order to succeed Latinos shouldn’t have to white pass but be truthful to our identity and embrace our culture.


Work Cited


McElhaney, J. (2011). Dirty Dozen. ABA Journal, 97(6), 24-25,61.


PRESIDENT TRUMP AND THE US LATINOS. (n.d.). The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education, 27(8), 3.





McGlynn, A. (2014). Latino College-Going & Graduation Rates Moving Up But Gaps Remain. The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education, 24(22), 18-20.