Hispanics, also known as Chicanas/os or Latinas/os, are the largest ethnic minority group in the United States. In 2001, the U.S. Census reported that Hispanics constituted 12% of the U.S. population, with 66% of these identifying as Mexican-heritage. However, this percentage underestimates the large number of Hispanics that enter the United States illegally and are routinely missed by census workers. By 2015, Hispanics will constitute the majority school-age population in the southwestern states, and dramatic increases in the school-age population of Hispanics in the South and the Midwest will be evidenced. Hispanic students are receiving much attention by researchers, educators, policymakers, and the media because, with the exception of the first wave of Cuban immigrants who came to the United States after Fidel Castro rose ...