This study utilized social construction theory to examine the differences in perceptions of barriers in education among Latinos in the United States based on the level of linguistic acculturation, generational status, academic achievement, and socioeconomic status of the participants. Higher levels of academic achievement have been associated with higher incomes and fewer negative health and social problems. Perceived barriers in education may lead to lower academic achievement, school dropout, or failure to enroll in college or complete a degree. Determining what Latinos perceive to be barriers for academic achievement, college enrollment and the completion of a degree, will enable social workers to collaborate with educators and communities to target those perceived barriers.

Data were drawn from the 2004 National Survey of Latinos: Education compiled by the Pew Hispanic Research Center between August 7 and October 15, 2003, from 3421 adults regarding their attitudes toward education. This study utilized data from the 1508 participants who identified themselves as being of Hispanic/Latino heritage. Over 63 percent of the participants who identified themselves as Latino identified themselves as being of Mexican descent. Forty-four percent of the identified Hispanic/Latinos were male and 56% were female. The mean age of the participants was 43. Forty-four percent of the self identified Hispanic/Latino participants preferred to be interviewed in Spanish. Fifty-nine percent had annual family incomes of $35,000 or less and 56.8% had a high school diploma/GED or lower.

Multinomial logistic regression results indicated that later generation participants with high levels of linguistic acculturation, high socioeconomic status and high academic achievement, perceived greater barriers in K–12 academic achievement. Similarly, participants with higher levels of linguistic acculturation, generational status, academic achievement, and socioeconomic status perceived greater barriers to Latino enrollment in college and the completion of a degree. Participants who perceived barriers in K–12 academic achievement were more likely to perceive barriers to college enrollment and the completion of a degree, than participants who did not perceive at least one possible K–12 barrier as a major barrier to academic success.