The beat goes on …

The United States remains mired in debt and two wars. Japan’s massive reconstruction problems are indescribable and they will not be fully resolved anytime soon. The Middle East is a powder keg with a fuse that can be lit at any moment. Escalating oil prices hamper everyone and everything, both in this country and elsewhere, and early relief appears highly unlikely. Libya continues to thumb its nose at the civilized world while soaking its soil with the blood of people who dare to challenge an evil dictatorship.

And there is little space in our daily newspapers and little time on our national newscasts for another huge domestic challenge.

But despite all this, America remains a fundamentally strong nation and we have the opportunity to become even stronger. I was reminded of this on recent trip to Texas to participate in a College Board conference on Hispanics in education.

Our Hispanic population continues to grow faster than anyone predicted, 9.7 percent according to the recent census. This topped the estimates by 900,000, bringing the national total above 50 million. The good news is that Hispanics will be central to America’s future.

Hispanic workers are the backbone of industries like meatpacking, food service, construction, agriculture and domestic services. Hispanic workers land two out of every three new construction jobs.

Hispanics also contribute essential numbers to the ranks of teachers, professors, lawyers, medical doctors and nurses, and the military.

And the growth in this population is no longer a local issue, affecting only the coasts and the southwest. The Hispanic population is now growing in the South and the Midwest, in states like Alabama, Louisiana, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Nebraska and Delaware. In Arizona, where the Hispanic population is 180,000 less than predicted, the opposite is occurring. Hispanics see Arizona as being hostile to their presence, because it was the first state to enact a law penalizing businesses for knowingly hiring undocumented immigrants.

Additionally, the U.S. Census Bureau projects that the Hispanic population will grow from 15 percent in 2008 to 30 percent by 2050. That means one in three Americans would be Hispanic. And by the same year, 54 percent of the country will be minority.

Once again, an immigrant group is writing its own powerful and positive story in America, the land of opportunity. But this story will only have a happy ending if society meets its obligations to this growing and diverse population. And key to meeting our obligations is providing the education they need and deserve.

Sadly, this is not the current case. Far too many Hispanic students are not completing high school. Just one in 10 Hispanic high school dropouts has a General Educational Development (GED) credential, widely regarded as the best “second chance” pathway to college, vocational training, and military service. This is a tragic waste of intellect and skill.

As the Hispanic population grows and spreads, it will heavily influence American politics, culture and economics. Whether that influence is positive will depend largely on education. If Hispanic Americans are to capitalize on their skills, language and ambition, they will need a well-rounded education to meet their already deep appreciation for learning and passion for creativity.

Some sectors are already responding.

Community colleges across the country have reached out to many Hispanic students with notable success. More than half of the Hispanics enrolled in higher education are in two-year institutions. Appreciably more cooperation is needed from the four-year colleges and universities if the professional needs of America are to be met. The Ohio State University has, in recent times, become a national model for minority receptivity in the health sciences where it has opened more medical and nursing slots to able students of color. Other major universities are following rigorous suit.

To meet the needs of this growing population, more and more businesses, foundations and associations are taking an active role in recruitment and scholarship programs. The College Board gives a clear example of what organized groups can do.

“As America’s largest educational association, the College Board has made a long-term commitment to serve as a convener, to ensure that education services are equitable and fairly distributed, and to take strong stands on issues such as the importance of bilingualism and sound immigration policy,” Gaston Caperton, president of the College Board, has said. He has put his money where his mouth is by taking a strong stance on the DREAM act, bringing educators together to sort out thorny issues, and by being a great supporter of language education.

More and more organizations with might are coming forward, but the challenge is great and time is short. It’s time for the nation to acknowledge that our future relies, in no small part, on the growth and development of our Hispanic friends and neighbors. Let’s see if we can help them help themselves, and, in the process, us all. We can ill afford to miss this golden opportunity.