Averett, Ty; Peterson, Kendall (Utah State University)
Faculty Advisor: López González, Crescencio (College of Humanities and Scoial Sciences; Languages, Philosophy and Communication Studies Department)
The case Méndez v. Westminster in California in 1947 brought Latinx families the hope that their students would no longer be segregated. Unfortunately, although Méndez v. Westminster brought an end to de jure segregation, Latinx students' fight for equity in education was just beginning. The de facto segregation that followed remains in our system today. This research explores this de facto segregation as exemplified in Stand and Deliver by Ramón Menéndez, McFarland, USA by Niki Caro, and several other films. These films demonstrate the experience of Latinx youth with the school system. While students may still be segregated between schools due to class differences between neighborhoods, they can also be separated within schools in subtler ways. An example of this is tracking: the practice of dividing students into various levels of classes based on ability level (i.e. remedial math, grade-level math, honors math). While, in theory, this may seem to be a reliable and helpful way to teach students on their level, it can be detrimental to the progress of minority students, leaving them even further behind. Because of biases on all levels of the system, a majority of minority youth find themselves in lower classes, increasing their feelings of hopelessness and putting them on a trajectory for dropout. This analysis details the effects of tracking on Latinx students, along with suggesting solutions and alternatives as demonstrated in the films mentioned above.