Why More Hispanics Now Than Ever Are Earning College Degrees
             Young Hispanics today are reaping the fruit that our ancestors planted many generations back. Most of our families immigrated to the United States from other countries. Some of our families were native to the land before it was part of the United States. As an example, my great grandmother on my mother's side was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1899. New Mexico was still just a territory at this time. Her Family was one of the original settlers on Santa Fe's east side. My grandfather on my father's side came from Zachatecas, Mexico. He worked as an electrician in order to support his family. My grandfather had no formal education; he learned his trade while working with other electricians. My ancestors worked very hard for very little money.
             My ancestors worked very hard for very little money. They did this with very little or no education. The reason they worked so hard was so their children would have more opportunities than they did. They wanted their children to get an education and be successful. They wanted their children to be able to accomplish this without having to break their back, for sometimes less than minimum wage.
             My father's parents were very poor. As a matter of fact, they did not have indoor plumbing until the late nineteen fifties. However his parent's still found a way to send him to a parochial school rather than a public school. While in Catholic school he became involved with the The Boy Scouts, and became an alter boy. My father lived in a rough side of town, and his parents did not want him getting in trouble. My grandparents always found a way to pay his tuition, regardless of what they did without. His parents did this for him until he was in the eighth grade. Upon entering high school, my dad decided it was time for him to pay his own tuition. His father had just become ill, and there were other siblings in the ho...