The Prison Military/industrial-Complex and the Effects on Young Latino Males

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Even though this contentious issue is one that affects both Blacks and Hispanics it is important to put into context the effects the complex specifically has on the Hispanic population. Hispanics are the largest minority in the U.S. and also the youngest (Pew Hispanic Center, 2009). When examining the age range of 16-24 it is imperative to analyze what pathways these young men are taking. Saenz and Ponjuan (2009) found that in 2004 28.4% of Latino males in this age range were high school drop outs vs. 18.5% of Latinas, 7.1% of White males an 13.5% of African American males. More recent research found that the high school drop out rate had decreased to 17% but was still almost three times as much as Whites at 6% and almost double that of Blacks at 9% (Pew Hispanic Center, 2009). Since these students are not all going to college after high school, what types of employment opportunities are they seeking? Many of these students opt for low-wage labor market jobs while others go on to pursue engineering or legal work (Saenz & Ponjuan, 2009). While these students may wind up in these kinds of sectors, others choose to enlist in the military. Researchers found that in 2003 almost 13,000 Latino males between 18 and 24 were in the military, signaling that these students were not in college during their prime years (Saenz & Ponjuan, 2009). Compared to the military, Latinos have a high representation being institutionalized as well. Latinos make up approximately 20.9% of the 2.1 million male inmates with 63.1% of the Latino population in prisons being between the ages of 18 and 34, again showcasing the traditional age range of college attainment in the U.S. (Saenz & Ponjuan, 2009). These issues implore administrators and other university officials to explore the different avenues Latino males tend to gravitate towards instead of pursuing higher education. Whether it is their personal fault, social factors in their environment, belonging to a “culture of poverty” or simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time, many times these students have several odds stacked against them that they must battle through in order to find success.

When looking at Texas there is a call for action in determining how to best assist these young men. Texas has the second largest Hispanic population with 37.6% of Texans being of Hispanic descent and Hispanics accounting for 65% of the state’s growth since 2000 (Pew Hispanic Center, 2009). It is also important to see how Latino youth ages 18 to 25 make up 40% of this population as well (Cárdenas, 2012). Not only is the Hispanic population a mostly young and growing population but it is also one that is reaching several parts of the state. Even though Hispanics are predominantly located in west and south Texas, they have increased populations in other parts of the state as well. Even though the population is growing many counties are majority minority or predominantly Hispanic counties. This has an effect on the type of schooling these students are exposed to and the ways in which they have access to particular resources. This also affects their knowledge of college attainment and their influence on choosing the military as a career path. Having a large representation of Hispanics in a certain community gives way for Latino men to see the values that they should embody and the cultural influences surrounding them shape their decision making. In several of these communities, men may not see many people advancing in education and going for their college degree. This notion creates room for the students to want to pursue other avenues other than education due to family pressures, peer pressures and other social influences that may exist.

It truly is a difficult task to ascertain how to combat eighteen years worth of socialization and upbringing once these students choose to enroll at an institution of higher education. The trials and tribulations they have faced can encompass several difficult dialogues that need to be had in the classroom and student affairs capacity. An aspect to consider when analyzing Latinos’ relationship with the prison/military industrial complex is the institutional oppression from discrimination and racist historical accounts the U.S. has encountered. This can be seen with the longevity of overt racism, oppression and blatant discrimination against citizens of colors that our grandparents and great grandparents fought through during the Civil Rights Era and beyond. Even though this form of institutionalized racism is no longer in effect, every day racism may still exist with a “color blind” attitude that several people hold (Bonilla-Silva, 2010). The ways in which these young men are stereotyped in the media as brute, macho, underachieving, foreigners and low skilled workers can have an impact on their social status and self-efficacy. Combating these forms of racism and prejudiced attacks will only help in increasing critical theory and assessing critical pedagogy involving these students. Administrators, teachers and students must all come together to challenge historical values and have these types of discussions in order to produce change in the constraints of an oppressive society.

Without these forms of dialogues between these groups, the institutional oppression of the academic system and simply tracking these students will continue to exist. As we discussed in class, these students are not simply empty vessels that we can use the banking system on according to Freire. These students must be engaged in the community of knowledge and be asked their opinions in order to create a sense of understanding and making them feel wanted and needed in order to produce results (Freire, 1970). One of the remarks from class that will always ring true for me, and can be applied to this topic specifically, is to not let the oppressed become the oppressor. Even though not all of these young men go down precarious paths, the ones who do find success should not grow to view their peers as subordinate or lesser than them. This can be seen to a small degree with Hispanic men who work for the border patrol who are recent immigrants themselves. This is used as a mechanism to show solidarity and a sense of national belonging, one that Davis refers to as a need for unity in the U.S. to combat “Terrorism/outside threats” (Davis, 2005). This situation is similar to the early history of the U.S. with Irish immigrants working as firefighters and policemen in order to show their new sense of nationalism and belonging to the country they newly inhabited. This sense of power given to the oppressed can become a troubling situation and lead to a vicious circle that continues to oppress these individuals.

This prison/military industrial complex builds off the system consisting of two uniforms for young men: one a prison jumpsuit