As lbpost.com managing editor Ryan ZumMallen reported yesterday, Long Beach City College played host to “Community Conversations”, a public forum focused on improving education for Hispanics sponsored by the White House Initiative on Hispanic Americans. Similar forums have already taken place in other cities across the country and will continue to go on as part of an information-gathering effort that will eventually develop into a presidential executive order.
There are at least two things about this forum that deserve our attention:
#1
Long Beach was one of a handful of cities selected to host these forums. Not only does this bring national attention to our city, it also gives us a voice on an issue that is sure to have national consequences on education policy. That Long Beach was chosen as a host city should not come as a big surprise. As the most ethnically diverse large city in the United States, Long Beach is in a better position to have this discussion than most other cities.
#2
Raising the level of educational attainment among Hispanics is important for the country as a whole. The U.S. Census Bureau projects that the groups we call minorities today will, collectively, make up the majority of America’s population by 2042. A significant factor in these projections is the continuing accelerated growth of Hispanics, who alone are expected to make up one-third of the nation’s population by 2050. For years, demographers and economists alike have been sounding the alarm about what this could mean for America’s workforce if educational attainment remains unchanged within the Hispanic community. Unless it improves, the country faces a steep decline in educational attainment in the decades to come. For example, if college attendance/graduation rates among Hispanics remain unchanged, a considerably larger number of Americans could be without a college degree in the years to come, leaving us with an undereducated workforce and all the accompanying consequences.
Where does this leave us today? Unless we start working on raising the level of educational attainment among Hispanics and all other groups, we run the risk of having a future workforce that is less educated and less skilled. Whether this White House Initiative will have any positive effect on this issue remains to be seen. The fact that something is being done today to address what has the potential to become a major problem in America tomorrow is a positive sign, as is the fact that Long Beach was given a center-stage voice in the dialogue.
Hats off to President Eloy Oakley, his staff and the faculty and students of Long Beach City College for hosting this forum. The year may not have started the way they would have liked, thanks to budget cuts and fee hikes resulting from California’s budget crisis. But putting Long Beach City College on the national stage is not a bad way to start off the new school year. Go Vikings!