Latino' Education in Mormon Utah, 1910–1960

Abstract

Looking at the history of education of Latinos in Utah, I suggest that the lack of educational opportunities has been the most effective mechanism to keep Latinos from achieving equal representation and from gaining cultural and historical identity. In comparison to other Latinos in the rest of the nation, the predominant factor that shapes the education of Latinos in Utah is religion, that is, Mormonism. As a set of beliefs, and as set of practices, Mormonism is embedded with racial underpinnings, theological premises, and social class undertones which undermine the Latinos’ educational efforts and place them in a system of socio-religious apartness. The idiosyncratic characteristics of Utah's educational system allows for the reinterpretation of national educational policies, such as the Americanization Programs, within cultural-religious parameters that produces different levels of educational discrimination within the Latino population. Nonetheless, Latinos challenged the educational practices of the state by creating their own schools, by proposing alternative methods of education, and by unraveling the intrinsic connections between religion, race, and socio-economic class. As a consequence, Latinos in Utah have proposed educational alternatives that are more holistic and inclusive.