Latinos Differ On Route to US Workplace Success

According to the survey by the Pew Hispanic Center and the Kaiser Family Foundation, far fewer Hispanics than whites believe they can be increasingly successful in an American workplace by working hard.

The survey said 29% of Hispanics believe that a worker can be more successful in a US company by being willing to work long hours at the expense of their personal lives. That compares to 46% of white respondents.

That gap is wider among Spanish speakers. Less than a fifth of Latinos who predominantly speak Spanish (17%) believe hard work will get one ahead, compared to 45% of those who predominantly speak English. Similar gaps exist between the foreign and the native born, the survey found.

Latinos overwhelmingly say that discrimination is a problem that keeps Hispanics from succeeding in general   (82%) and is a problem in the workplace (78%) and at schools (75%).

When asked about personal experiences, one in three (31%) Latinos report that they or someone close to them has suffered discrimination in the past five years because of their racial or ethnic background.

Strong Homeland Tie

The survey said Hispanics overall show a strong attachment to the Latin American nations where they or their ancestors were born. While Latinos generally take a positive view of life in the United States, many express concerns about the moral values Latino children are acquiring here.

Significant differences on a range of attitudes are apparent depending on whether Latinos were born in the United States or abroad and whether they are primarily Spanish or English speaking, the survey found.

The survey report also includes analysis of the sometimes substantial and sometimes more subtle differences in the attitudes and experiences among Latinos from various places of origin including Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Dominicans, Salvadorans, and Colombians