Hopeful Girls, Troubled Boys: Race and Gender Disparity in Urban Education

By 2007, it is estimated that 9.2 million girls of color will be enrolled in college compared to 6.9 million boys of color. Why the discrepancy? Lopez takes us to the schools, homes, and workplaces of Caribbean youth to point out the different expectations that guide behavior. Now the largest immigrant group in New York City, Lopez focuses in particular on these Caribbean teens to explain how and why our schools and cities are failing boys of color. This is a fascinating ethnographic study on a topic of increasing interest to people in the field of education and anyone concerned about the future of young people.

Nancy Lopez is Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of New Mexico