Have you noticed that when you walk into a college classroom chances are high that the professor will not be Latino?

Source: Photo by Felicia Mello for CALmatters

we know that college professors of color make for a fairer, more nurturing and understanding environment for nuestros estudiantes. Naysayers may say we’re advocating for reverse discrimination, but we just want more profes like University of California at Berkeley lecturer Pablo Gonzalez, who speaks Spanish and makes references to pop culture that students can relate with during his lectures.

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Source: Photo by Felicia Mello for CALmatters

Students can relate to him, say “he’s real” and note that he grew up in the hood. These commonalities allow a type of academic relationship that students just can’t build with professors who haven’t experienced similar struggles or realities they have, and can’t relate to them.

Source: Latinalista

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Gonzalez is a rarity in a college where only 5% of faculty is Latino. In a state where Latinos make up nearly 25% of UC undergraduates, universities need to hire more Latino professors. Otherwise the ones who suffer are our young people.

 

 

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