Self-Esteem (continued)

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The lack of cultural diversity in the upbringing and schooling of young children hits the children of minority cultures hardest. When African American, Vietnamese, or Latina girls enter school, they enter a new culture, often one where they are regarded as “other,” “different,” and “inferior.” The shock may be profound. Some of these children may suddenly feel uncertain about themselves and become withdrawn or defensive. Their ability to learn may also suffer. Too often failure and frustration in school attack a student’s self-image and distort her view of her home culture (Au & Kawakami, 1994; Foster, 1994; Ginorio & Huston, 2001). Young girls (and boys) of color usually first experience an inferior, castelike status in their neighborhood school.

Entering school is a major, traumatic event in the lives of many girls (and boys) from these cultures. The average African American or Latina student enters school a few months behind her middle-class counterparts in skill development and remains behind for the next 12 years (Ginorio & Huston, 2001). Although school may not be the primary source of this society’s oppressions, it is often the institution where tracking, labeling, and failing first occur.

Oakes (1988) documents the negative results of tracking African American and Latina youths away from college-bound classes and into general, homemaking, and business courses. Evidence indicates that Catholic schools track Latinas less than do public schools (Oakes, 2005) and that tracking remains a problem for Latinas in public schools (Ginorio & Huston, 2001).