Motivation or Classification

     Does are race really determine our success? We are all given the same opportunity to go to high school but you must put in work to achieve the goals. In the broader terms you may not go to preschool, your parents may not have finished high school but you do have a chance to succeed. Statistics in the article we read state that Hispanics have the highest dropout rate. Is it the language barrier, poverty or social stigma that makes Hispanics more likely to go to work instead of college?

     My grandmother was born in Puerto Rico. My grandfather was a NYC firefighter and the founder of the Hispanic Society of Fireman in NYC. Yet I really don't define myself by my Spanish heritage because my mother is not Spanish. I was not around the culture so it does not define me. So is it race or your environment that effects your outcome. I believe it is your environment. I know many people of different races who are great students.  If you choose to be in the wrong crowd your less likely to study. Also now that I am older all my friends are going to college even if they work. This may have influenced me staying in school.

     Poor people may feel a need to work because their parents can't support them any longer. They may not see college as an advantage because their parents did not go. Maybe people are using their race as a scapegoat to not succeeding. Whatever the reasons for not completing school you will notice it in your income. Today even a Bachelors Degree doesn't guarantee a good paying job. I hope my hard work pays off.