From the Barrio to the Public Sector Executive Suite: Where Are the Roadblocks?

Abstract

This article examines the impediments that Hispanic males face on their journey to becoming public sector executives. There are more U. S. Hispanics in the age range to attend colleges and universities now than ever before. About half are Hispanic males. However, for Hispanic males there are many roadblocks to completing the journey from childhood education to completing college or university education and then attaining a successful career. We categorize these impediments as related to educational systems, a sense of not belonging, cultural characteristics and stereotypes, and learned helplessness and lack of resilience. Such challenges extend from the educational system into Hispanic males’ experience in the workplace. This article will help faculty and administrators—of programs that count Hispanic males as students and of programs that teach public service managers—to understand the causes of these barriers.

Keywords:

• Hispanic males
• educational impediments
• cultural characteristics
• learned helplessness
• stereotypes
• lack of resilience

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Espiridion Borrego

Espiridion “Al” Borrego retired as an associate professor of public administration in the Department of Public Affairs and Security Studies at the University of Texas–Pan American. His area of research is cultural competence.

Vicky Borrego

Vicky Borrego has held faculty positions in health systems at Georgetown University and at the University of Alaska Southeast. She managed a $4 million U. S. Department of Labor grant to reduce the nursing labor shortage in the Rio Grande Valley by training local residents. She was the center director and associate dean at the University of Southern California’s Washington Public Affairs Center in Washington, D.C.