Mexican-American Professionals in Municipal Administration Do They Really Lag behind in Terms of Education, Seniority, and On-the-Job Training?

Abstract

Hispanics are the fastest-growing ethnic population in the United States. By the year 2025, they will be the single largest minority group in the country.1 Sometimes referred to as the “sleeping giant,” Americans of Mexican descent are the dominant ethnic group within the Hispanic subculture. Sizable populations of Mexican-Americans reside in California, Texas, Illinois, and Arizona. Research on Mexican-American professionals is scarce, since they have not been identified specifically as “Mexican-Americans” in studies about career advancement. Instead, they have been lumped together with all Hispanics, or, in some instances, with all minorities.2 It is questionable whether previous research accurately describes, explains, and predicts the careers of this growing subculture of the American workforce, it is important to know more about this growing group of professionals who will help to shape public policy for themselves and the nation in the next millennium.

Challenges, Choices, and Decisions of Women in Higher Education

“…The 2010 U.S. Census refers to “Hispanic or Latino” as a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race (Humes, Jones, & Ramirez, 2011). While there is merit in separating Latino groups by subcultures (Ortega-Liston, 1999a, 1999b, 2001), much available data about them are presented en masse; therefore, this discussion includes all Hispanics and draws comparisons to Blacks, Asians, and Whites. We also use the terms academia and the professoriate interchangeably to denote higher education institutions.…”