The long arm of stereotypes on Latino immigrants’ school-to-work transitions

Latinos are migrating to the US younger and are more likely than ever to enrol in US schools and colleges. Yet empirical evidence demonstrates that Latino immigrants are more likely to be sorted into the low-wage labour market than other ethno-racial or immigrant groups, regardless of educational attainment. These inequalities are often attributed to variation in educational attainment, labour market discrimination, or cultural preferences. Yet these explanations are often based on empirical evidence within schools, workplaces, or families alone. Drawing on a multi-institutional qualitative approach of ninety interviews with teachers, faculty, employers, and Latino young adults, this article examines how racialized stereotypes of Latino immigrants’ “culture of hard work” in manual labour relate to school-to-work inequality. Specifically, even though the stereotype that Latino immigrants are hardworking in manual labour was historically created among Latino immigrant adults, I find that today it is activated in educational institutions towards Latino immigrant children; reinforced by employers’ discriminatory screening decisions in the labour market; and internalized among Latino immigrants and their families. Ultimately, this article reveals the long arm of stereotypes on Latino immigrants’ school-to-work transitions.