Education is an integral part of the process of identity formation; it helps shape individuals and often directs their lives once the educational process is finished. The level and quality of education can determine a person's socioeconomic status and prospects; however, not everyone has equal access to the same educational opportunities. In The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros offers a glimpse into the difficulties Mexican-American women face when expressing aspirations for a higher level of education. The novel conveys the idea that education offers opportunities for a better life and leads to female empowerment and, ultimately, independence. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The author provides a female perspective on education in this novel, however, to understand female positions on this issue it is necessary to understand the underlying structures that segregate entire communities based primarily on their ethnicity and secondarily exclude women based on their gender. “Chicanas argued that they were even more oppressed than Mexican-American men, both because of their racial/ethnic minority status and because of their gender.” The Latino population in the United States is “the largest racial and ethnic minority in the country”; however, "in terms of ethnicity, by far the largest Latino group is the Mexican or Mexican-American population", which is the ethnic group described in the novel, and often referred to as the Chicano population. The level of education achieved among the Latino population depends on many factors, such as the socioeconomic context, the involvement of parents in the educational process and the quality of the primary education they received. According to statistics, “school enrollment rates for Latino children do not significantly diverge from those of other racial and ethnic groups until they reach age 15,” however, their enrollment in school does not guarantee a quality education , as Latino children are often discriminated against by their peers and, sometimes, even by their teachers. Discrimination at both the institutional and individual levels profoundly affects children and affects their overall performance in school. Institutional discrimination affects not only children in the education system but also their parents, resulting in families and entire communities living in isolation from the rest of American society. At an individual level, children can suffer "social exclusion, unfair classification, verbal insults from teachers and peers, and physical aggression". Such practices underline that the entire education system needs to be reoriented towards an approach that does not disadvantage and harm children from ethnic groups. As Latino children grow up, high school dropout rates become higher and “they are significantly less likely to complete high school than their white peers.” In terms of college education, “Latinos tend to enroll in community colleges,” even so, graduation rates are low, and in more prestigious educational institutions the presence of Latino students is almost non-existent compared to other groups. Consequently, “education is also a determinant of status in the labor market. Latinos in the workforce tend to have higher unemployment rates and lower-than-average earnings,” meaning that limited access to quality education and discrimination are determining factors in the lives of Latinos. All the children who live in the barrio attend schoolsup to a certain age, although public schools located in Latino neighborhoods are believed to do more harm than good, while private schools are often expensive and, for the majority of the population, inaccessible. Esperanza Cordero's family is one of the few exceptions in the barrio that emphasizes education and its quality, however, to afford a better quality education Esperanza must start working at a young age in order to pay the private school tuition she should attend or as he explains: “I needed money. Catholic high school was expensive, and dad said that no one goes to public school unless they want to make a bad impression." Esperanza, the main protagonist of The House on Mango Street, attends a Catholic school where the student body is made up of both Chicanos and white students. On several occasions, Esperanza finds herself humiliated and embarrassed by her teachers, most of whom judge her based on the neighborhood she lives in and the condition of her family's home. At school, Esperanza observes, «the special kids, those who wear keys around their necks, eat in the canteen. The canteen!”, thus excluding her and the other children in her community from the “special children”. Chicano students cannot eat lunch in the cafeteria with other students, so they must walk home during lunch time, a walk that could be long and tiring for some students, which would lower their level of concentration and concentration . as a result, they lower their performance. The important role that education plays in a woman's life is represented through the character of Esperanza's mother, who believes that a better future awaits those who receive an education. Esperanza's mother contradicts the image of traditional Chicano mothers “who were simultaneously participants in and victims of patriarchy, and encouraged their daughters to do the same.” In the vignette, “A Smart Cookie,” Esperanza describes her mother's regrets over missed opportunities that could have granted her freedom and an alternative lifestyle. “Esperanza, you go to school. Study hard”, is the advice Esperanza receives from her mother. He encourages her to break the conventions of the patriarchal order and become an independent woman and move away from the Mexican culture that places "women at the bottom of the ladder, one step above the deviants." The novel features various women and young girls, most of them are bound to the domestic sphere and have no access to higher education. Although most women live in similar circumstances, through the character of Alicia the author introduces an individual who seeks to emancipate herself by attending university while living in the barrio. Alicia faces many challenges as she juggles college and home life; during the day she serves as the primary caregiver for her family and at night she studies because that is the only part of the day when she has no other responsibilities. 'Alicia is young and intelligent and studying at university for the first time. Two trains and a bus, because he doesn't want to spend his whole life in a factory or behind a rolling pin.' Through Alicia, the author presents the only woman in the novel who possesses the agency and courage to pursue her own ambitions, as well as "the only character who does not invest her hopes in a man." For Esperanza, women like Alicia and her mother serve as role models who encourage her to pursue her education. As the novel progresses, the reader becomes witness to Esperanza's maturation and determination to leave Mango Street to achieve independence and success. He declares: “One day I will pack my bags of books and paper. One day I will say goodbye to Mango” because as a Chicana woman she is not given any opportunities on the inside,.