Puerto Rican High Achievers: An Example of Ethnic and Academic Identity Compatibility

Abstract

Although research finds that members of some involuntary minority ethnic groups tend to develop oppositional identities, Puerto Rican students studied in this research project at an urban high school did not associate school success with "whiteness." These students were academically successful while still maintaining their ethnic identity. They were not accused of acting white, did not mask their academic accomplishments, and did not assume raceless personas. Different conceptualizations of ethnicity, sociohistorical context, and class may account for their maintenance of ethnic identity while achieving success in school.

Ethnic Identity and Sense of School Belongingness: Behaviors and Beliefs of Immigrant Hispanic Students and Parents

“…Recent research finds that academic success does not necessarily come at the expense of ethnic identity for all groups (Flores-Gonzales, 1999). Focusing on students of varied ethnic and class backgrounds, these studies show that racial/ethnic minorities do not have to choose between performing well in school or maintaining their ethnic identity; they can be "ethnic" and "model" students simultaneously.…”

“…Rather, they suggest that many racial/ethnic minorities view school success as a middle class trait, and since they are, or aspire to be, middle class, achieving in school is appropriate behavior for them (Flores-Gonzales, 2002). …”

“…Flores- Gonzales (2002) indicates that unsuccessful teachers, lacking an awareness of students' lives, interpret students' lack of engagement in school as a signal that "they do not care," and refuse to waste their time and energy on what they perceive to be "lost causes. " Ortiz (1988) adds that sometimes teachers even ignore their Mexican American pupils by "forgetting" to call on them when everyone else is given a chance to read aloud or by failing to include them in groups or teams.…”

“…In their research Flores- Gonzales (2002) indicate that the basis for [Hispanic students'] failure is due to defective organization of lessons and activities based on teachers' unexamined attitudes and beliefs about the perceived "deficiencies" of minority and poor students and their families. In his article Ruiz (1997) indicates that to the extent that schools consistently exclude the students' home experiences from the curriculum, alienate their families and discourage their participation in the education of their children, transmit in an authoritarian way standardized curriculum, and bias their assessment of minority children to ensure that some "problem" will be found in them, minority students will be disabled.…”

“…They note that special education assignments for Hispanics are used in the same manner as punishment of Hispanic students, for the purpose of removing them from regular classes. Flores- Gonzales (2002) offers an alternative to the separation of students and indicates that despite the overwhelming evidence that grouping practices are flourishing, his initial preference is to ban all academic grouping. He declares that cooperative learning, where students form teams to assist each other, is one approach that has received a great deal of attention.…”