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Chapter 5: Latinos/Hispanics

Chapter 5

Latinos/Hispanics

Table of Contents

Content

Page No. in the IM

Chapter Outline

Chapter Objectives

Lecture Notes and Teaching Suggestions

Key Facts (and Associated Questions)

Questions to Consider (End of Chapter)

Actions and Exercises

Suggested Test Questions

Chapter Outline

1. Introduction and Overview

2. History of Hispanics in the United States

4. Population

6. Organizational Experiences of Hispanics

8. Recommendations for Individuals

10. Summary

12. Questions to Consider

13. Actions and Exercises

Chapter Objectives

After completing this chapter, readers should have a greater understanding of Hispanics

and diversity in organizations. Specifically considered are:

• the historical background and current status of Hispanics in the United States.

Chapter 5: Latinos/Hispanics

• the effects of higher population growth rates among Hispanics on diversity issues.

• diversity in race, education, participation rates, employment, and income levels

among Hispanics in the United States.

• employment experiences of Hispanics, focusing on those of Latinas, immigrants,

and managers and professionals.

Lecture Notes and Teaching Suggestions

This chapter introduces Hispanics in the United States, and it emphasizes their diversity

in education, employment, origin, and race. Hispanics are the fastest-growing minority

groups in the United States. Hispanics include people from various races, including

Blacks, Whites, American Indians, and Asians—whose ancestors have resided in Central

and South America for generations. Although many self-identify as White, Hispanics are

often considered minorities and included in the “people of color” category, further

confounding race, ethnicity, color, and minority group status.

The next section of the chapter considers the history of people from Mexico, Puerto Rico,

and Cuba in the United States. These three groups represent the largest group of Hispanic

Americans, those with a clear dual homeland, and those who have been most

economically successful in the United States. Instructors should point out that there are

About 9% of Hispanics are of Puerto Rican descent. Despite their dual citizenship and

ease of physical movement between the mainland and the island, Puerto Ricans faced

social, cultural, economic, and political barriers to inclusion that was similar to those

Chapter 5: Latinos/Hispanics

experienced by Hispanic immigrants. Cubans began arriving in the United States in large

numbers in January 1959, when Fidel Castro obtained government power in Cuba by

force. Early émigrés were often wealthy or middle class and able to bring money and

property with them when they fled. Later émigrés were often destitute, and the federal

government offered significant financial assistance to Cubans.

Like other groups, individual Latinos should obtain as much education as they can.

Although the returns on an investment in education differ by race and national origin,

average earnings are higher and unemployment is lower for those with more education.

Hispanic women, like other minority women, face barriers based on race and sex

stereotyping and discrimination. Education, persistence, and careful choice of employers

can be very helpful.

Key Facts (and Associated Questions)

Questions following each “Key Fact” are helpful in stimulating class discussion.

Chapter 5: Latinos/Hispanics

instructors). Instructors may wish to have students formulate questions of their own

relevant to the key facts and use them for class discussion.

• The category Hispanic includes people with different origins and having distinct

education, income, and employment experiences in the United States.

Question: In what ways are people from various Hispanic origins different?

People from various Hispanic origins are different because their country of origin

• Hispanics can be White, Black, Asian, Native American, or multi-racial, and race is

contextual and variable among Hispanics.

Questions: Did you know that Hispanics can be of any race? Are experiences of

Hispanics different based on their race?

The textbook emphasizes the variation in the origins, education, income, and

• Sixty-five percent of the Hispanic population in the United States is native-born.

Many Hispanics are second-, third-, fourth-, and fifth-generation Americans.

Question: Why are Hispanics widely viewed as recent immigrants?

• Strict “English–only” rules are generally not defensible under Title VII of the Civil

Rights Act.

Question: When can employers require employees to speak English?

Chapter 5: Latinos/Hispanics

English-only rules are only defensible in a small number of cases. Employers

should require employees to speak in English only when it is necessary for the safe

• Access and treatment discrimination against Hispanics have been clearly

documented; however, in some cases, Hispanic workers are preferred over Black

(and sometimes White) workers.

Question: Why do you think access and treatment discrimination still occur in a

workplace?

Employers might not train managers in anti-discrimination policies, and they might

• Employers who express preferences for Hispanic immigrant workers pay less than

those who do not express such preferences.

Question: Why are Hispanics immigrant workers paid less by employers who prefer

hiring Hispanic immigrants?

Selected Items for Instructors’ Consideration as Discussion

Points

1. Table 5.4: Unemployment Level by Educational Attainment by Race 2013

(Percent of Population 25 and over)

This table shows differences in unemployment level by educational attainment and

by race for the year of 2013. If one looks at Hispanic unemployment rate when

compared with others at the lowest education level, both Hispanic and White

Chapter 5: Latinos/Hispanics

unemployment rate in 2013 is lower than the total unemployment rate and Hispanic

2. Organizational Feature 5.1

The PhD Project: Increasing Diversity through Holistic Means

Questions to Consider:

1. The PhD Project estimates that, on average, fewer than one Black, Latino, or

Native American business faculty member exists at universities in the United

States. If you are a university student, or have studied at that level, how many

Black, Latino, or Native American faculty do/did you have? Estimate or

investigate the actual proportion of Blacks, Latinos, or Native Americans who

are faculty at a university (that is not a historically Black university) with

which you are familiar.

2. What are the benefits for White students and students of color of having faculty

members from diverse backgrounds?

3. The PhD Project assumes that having more faculty of color will increase the

probability that students of color will attend and complete college, reducing the

education gap among Whites and Blacks, Latinos, and Native Americans.

Chapter 5: Latinos/Hispanics

Investigate the changes in college completion rates for these groups between

1995 and the present.

3. Table 5.5: Socioeconomic Characteristics of Hispanics by Nativity Compared

with Other Groups, 2012

This table presents a comparison of socioeconomic data between Hispanic and non-

Hispanic groups. Table 5.5 shows that the median earnings are the highest for “Asian

alone, not Hispanic” followed by “White alone, not Hispanic,” “Native-born

Hispanic,” “Other, not Hispanic,” “Hispanic,” “Foreign–born Hispanic,” and “Black

alone, not Hispanic.” “Blacks alone, not Hispanic” have the lowest median income.

White Hispanics also fare better than all other groups in terms of poverty rate.

4. Research Summary 5.2: Causes of Hispanic Underrepresentation in Managerial

and Professional Occupations

This feature presents a summary of an article which appeared in the Hispanic Journal

of Behavioral Sciences and that investigates why Latinos are underrepresented in

managerial and professional occupations. People in these positions are paid the

Chapter 5: Latinos/Hispanics

5. Research Summary 5.3: Convicted of a Felony, or Not? Differences by Race and

Ethnicity

This feature presents a summary of an article in the field of criminology that

investigates the likelihood that people will receive deferred adjudication when they

are found to be involved in a criminal activity in Florida. This article can be

Questions to Consider (End of Chapter)

1. Prior to reading this chapter, were you aware of the repatriation of Mexicans during

the 1930s, lynching, and the Latinos’ fight for civil rights?

Students’ answers will vary. Many people are unaware of the discriminatory

2. Given the Hispanic buying power discussed in this chapter, what might retailers do

to capitalize on the Hispanic consumer market?

Students’ answers will vary. Some suggestions that retailers could implement are as

follows:

3. What would your recommendations be for dealing with the behavior of the Conoco

clerk in the incident in Fort Worth, Texas and for ensuring such behavior did not

occur again? What measures would you recommend to prevent such discrimination

against Hispanic customers in the future?

Students’ answers will vary. Some students might think that the employee should

have been terminated in this case. Convenience stores often have CCTV cameras

4. What specific steps can organizations take to ensure that bilingual workers’ skills

are compensated when these skills are job relevant, to encourage bilingualism

among employees, and to reduce resistance to Spanish speakers?

Students’ answers to this question will vary. Some employees may provide

suggestions to their employers to ensure that bilingual workers’ skills are

5. What can organizations that pay low wages for low-skill work do to ensure that

workers are treated fairly? What is the role of the perception that immigrant

workers are “better off than if they were in _____” in justifying paying them low

wages? How pervasive do you think this perception is? What can be done to

educate people about discrimination against immigrant workers?

Students’ answer will vary. Respect and fairness for employees should not be

limited to high-wage workers. All workers, regardless of their job type, level,

status, or wages, deserve to be treated with respect.

6. What should law enforcement agencies do to curb discrimination against

minorities? What can the public do?

Students’ answers will vary. Law enforcement agencies could use a variety of

mechanisms to curb discrimination against minorities, for example, establish an

independent agency to which complaints could be reported, establish an

Chapter 5: Latinos/Hispanics

Actions and Exercises

1. Investigate and report on the change in the Hispanic population of your local

community or state in the past twenty years.

2. Observe employment of Hispanics in your community in a particular place (such as

a store, restaurant, office, etc.) in which there are also non-Hispanic White, Black,

Asian, or employees of other backgrounds. What do you observe that is relevant to

diversity in organizations?

Students’ answers will vary. Students may observe racial segregation at workplace.

They may observe that lower-level Latinos and other people of color are workers

3. If you are not Hispanic, do you know someone well who is Hispanic? In what

capacity do you know him or her (e.g., personal friend, manager, classmate,

neighbor, etc.)? Do you know his or her ethnic origin (e.g., Mexico, Cuba, or

Central America, etc)? Is he or she bilingual? Have you discussed race, ethnicity, or

other diversity issues with this person? Explain.

4. Investigate the repatriation of Mexican Americans. Have efforts to secure

reparations for those affected been successful?

5. Conduct research to find several Hispanics in positions of power in corporations,

politics, or academics. Describe their positions, educational background,

experience, and other relevant factors that have contributed to their successes.

6. Investigate current instances of racial profiling and police misconduct against

people of color. What are your findings?

7. In Chapter 4, Devah Pager’s research documented employers’ preferences for

Whites with criminal records over Blacks without criminal records. Are these

preferences also likely for Latinos? How might the failure of Latinos and Blacks to

obtain withheld adjudication or similar benefits in other states exacerbate

employers’ existing preferences for Whites? What effect might questionable arrests

and convictions, coupled with lower likelihoods of obtaining withheld adjudication,

have on the employment levels and earnings of Latinos and Blacks?

Students’ answers will vary. Employers’ preferences for Whites with criminal

Chapter 5: Latinos/Hispanics