We Asked Latinas About Student Loans, Here Are Their Stories

woman grimacing in frustration

Massive debt is something that looms over the lives of most Americans these days. American capitalism and the expanding wealth gap has made it fantastically difficult for the average citizen to live a completely debt-free life. This becomes even more depressing when it’s revealed that most of this debt was taken to cover expenses to improve quality of life and get closer to achieving the mythical American Dream: buying a home, reliable transportation, education and so on.


Pursuing higher education in the form of 2 or 4 year colleges and universities in the U.S. has become something that American culture has convinced most Americans to strive for as a way to move up the economic ladder. But when you consider that those who chose to formally educate themselves to climb the social ladder are now collectively saddled with $1.8 trillion in loans, the math all of a sudden doesn’t make much sense.

When higher education is sold as a vehicle out of poverty only to put those same people into tough economic conditions, the fundamental wealth gap problem between whites and non-whites is only exasperated.

According to a 2020 study from the Student Borrower Protection Centre around 72% of Latino students have taken out student loans to be able to attend college.

We asked the Luz community what their experience with student loans has been, and the answers were as depressing as you would expect. This informal survey also found some interesting points of view on the role of education, proposed student loan forgiveness, and the Biden Administration’s handling of the student debt crisis.

When asked about the role of higher education, the consensus was that 2 and 4 year university helps but isn’t necessary:

While higher education can certainly give you a leg up, especially if you’re trying to enter a highly competitive or specialized industry, there are other types of education that are more accessible and that also have high market demand. As the world evolves, and industries change, the need for trained professionals with skills that aren’t taught in universities increases.

Additionally, not everyone has the same goals or aspirations yet schools routinely attempt to track all kids into college except for a disproportionate amount of kids of color who were tracked into vocational classes when trade schools were largely seen as “dumping grounds” for them. When the landscape for specialized trades turned into lucrative careers, pushing kids of color into those classes stopped.

That didn’t stop higher education institutions from convincing everyone that even with the changing labor market, 2 and 4 year colleges were still necessary. With the recent growth of career sectors in tech, creative fields, and trades like green energy, however, many more employers are reporting that experience is more important than a college degree. And major employers like Apple revealed in 2019 that half their workforce didn’t have a college degree.

So this begs the question that many are now actively considering: is it worth taking on tens of thousands in student loans when there are alternate routes that can also lead to lucrative careers?

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So now that the economic damage is done, how long does it take to pay off student loans?

The answer to this question is very much, it depends. Managing student loan debt is complicated. It’s almost as if making student loans complicated to pay off will continue enriching the government and private lenders, but they would never do that (sarcasm included).

Most survey respondents agreed that it will most likely take them the rest of their lives to pay off their loans.

This is a reality that many student loan holders have accepted. Yet student loans aren’t the only thing people need to pay. Some have families to support, other responsibilities, and life obligations which means they can’t pay the loans off quickly. Not only does this stagnate the economy because too much of their income is tied up in student loan payments, but because they aren’t able to pay the maximum amount to pay off the loan faster, capitalized interest accrues, ballooning the debt to amounts that are often much higher than what they originally borrowed.

Allowing capitalized interest means that when accrued interest isn’t paid, it rolls over into the new year, is added to the principal balance, which increases the balance that is then subject to even more interest. It’s interest upon interest upon interest over and over and over again. Loan sharks are cheaper than this.

If there’s something most of America can agree on (except for the federal government and private lenders), it’s that no one should ever have to go into a lifetime of debt in an effort to educate themselves to improve their lot in life.

The American student loan system has created a nation of indentured servants.

Is the current administration helping?

Simple unanimous answer for this one. No. Pausing the loans only makes people more nervous for what’s to come next and simply delays the massive economic burden that so many are carrying.

The only way to actually help at this point is to fulfill campaign promises and forgive student loans all together. While Biden didn’t promise to forgive all debt, he did promise to address at least $10,000 immediately. That hasn’t materialized. The Biden Administration is now also arguing that they can’t forgive the debt without a bill from Congress. Senator Elizabeth Warren and others disagree, noting that “the law is pretty clear that the secretary of education has the authority to compromise — that’s the term — which means effectively cancel any individual debt of up to $1 million.”

What this means is that while an additional student loan pause through May 1, 2022 was helpful, it doesn’t actually solve any problems and just delays the inevitable. People throughout the country continue to call on the Biden Administration to cancel student loans.

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The pandemic brought relief to some, and even bigger problems to others

Like with most problems that came from this pandemic, some found temporary solutions, some found bigger problems. The pausing of the payments during the pandemic helped some save up money that would go towards paying them later. Others found that this temporary pause wasn’t really a relief since the pandemic brought so much financial instability that saving up money was impossible, while the loans were still looming in the near future.

This reiterates that student loans continue to be a massive albatross that’s hanging around American’s necks.

This is occurring at a time when the pandemic increased the wealth of the richest 400 Americans by 4.3 trillion dollars while millions of Americans wonder how they are going to pay rent and mortgages AND their student loans after the student loan pause expires.

Student loan forgiveness would give people the quality of life they deserve

When asked what the Luz audience would do with the money that goes to student loans if they were forgiven, the answers were eye opening. Everyone answered a variation of the same thing, “I need this money to give myself and my family a good life.” They went from being able to buy a home to paying for their kids’ college education to actually being able to save up for emergencies.

It’s painfully obvious that student loan holders need relief and this relief would immediately boost the economy while also increasing the quality of life for millions of Americans. It will take clear political courage and a strong moral compass to do for individuals what is routinely done for big business in America.

Even for the people that have already paid them off, forgiveness for those that haven’t is popular.

We have all heard a variation of that argument before: “Well I already paid them, so if I did it, everyone should be able to, or it’s not fair that I had to pay them and other people won’t.” The mentality within the Latino community appears to be different. As is often the case, the Latino community proves to lean towards group empowerment. The responses to the last question Luz posed to our audience, “If you already paid off your student loans, how do you feel about others having their loans forgiven?” were along the general theme of “I’m all for it!” It seemed the general sentiment was a belief that if others don’t have to suffer through what they did, then everyone is better off.

test image screenshot of an instagram poll

It’s clear that there’s a very simple solution to a big complicated problem and that’s full student loan cancellation. Time will tell if the Biden Administration listens to what people are saying and does right by student loan borrowers and the economy.

Student loan forgiveness would result in dramatic economic improvement to communities that have historically been cut out of wealth creating opportunities, and put an end to the economic punishment that so many have endured for choosing to purchase the dream America has been selling.

It’s seems the costs are more than anyone bargained for.

hands holding up yellow protest signs that say Hands Off Our Bodies
Photo Credit: Gayatri Malhotra via Unsplash

Originally published in Common Dreams. Reprinted with permission.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

In November, abortion rights measures will appear on ballots across ten states, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and New York, where Latinos make up a significant portion of the electorate. For decades, pundits and politicians have recycled long-held misconceptions about Latino voters and abortion access, citing our conservative and religious beliefs.

Anti-abortion extremists have long fueled these misconceptions through misinformation and disinformation campaigns targeting Latino communities with egregious lies and inflammatory rhetoric about abortion. Yet, polling, focus groups, and direct interactions with Latino communities have debunked these outdated tropes.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

For Latinos, the freedom to decide, a pillar of our American democracy, is critical. Meanwhile, Latinos are being hit directly with anti-abortion efforts that take away that freedom such as the six-week abortion ban put into effect by the Florida Supreme Court and the 1864 abortion ban upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court. In the wake of the Dobbs decision, people of color and Latinas have felt the impact of a lack of abortion access, an element of basic healthcare.

A 2023 report by the National Partnership for Women and Families estimated that nearly 6.5 million Latinas, or 42% of all Latinas of reproductive age in the country, live in a state that either had or was likely to ban abortion. Ironically, it will be abortion access and anti-choice efforts to restrict freedom of choice that will mobilize Latino voters this election.

In a poll conducted by three national reproductive justice organizations, 87% of Latinas named abortion and women’s rights as one of their top priorities as they head to the polls. Another battleground poll conducted by Somos PAC and BSP Research found that 61% of Latino registered voters expressed a more positive/favorable view of Kamala Harris after hearing that she will protect abortion rights, versus only 19% of Latinos who said they had a more negative view of Harris after hearing that.

In key states to secure the White House and both chambers, Latinos make up large chunks of the electorate: Arizona (25%), Colorado (15%), Florida (20%), Nevada (20%), and New York (12%). In the face of unprecedented attacks on basic healthcare access and targeted attempts by extremists to mislead and divide our community on this issue, this November Latinos will be key deciders on abortion access across the country.

Mari Urbina, Managing Director of Indivisible, Battleground Arizona Lead and former Harry Reid advisor.

Héctor Sánchez Barba is president and CEO of Mi Familia Vota (MFV).

This Viral Video Game Is Changing the Face of Voter Outreach

In 2024, voting campaigns have evolved greatly, to say the least. Creativity is now the name of the game and tongue-in-cheek humor is expertly leveraged to drive action. One example of that is Bop the Bigot, a revival of a viral game created in 2016 by Bazta Arpaio, an Arizona activist group, as part of a campaign to unseat Maricopa County’s Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Arpaio lost his re-election to Paul Penzone that year.

The game has now been updated for the current election cycle and relaunched by On Point Studios, with new features added to enable players to find out what’s on their ballot, confirm voter status, and register to vote.

Much like its former 2016 version, the game allows users to take out their political frustrations by virtually “bopping” GOP candidates in the head. It’s very similar to whack-a-mole, except the mole is replaced by former President Donald Trump, Ohio’s Senator J. D. Vance, and Kevin Roberts, President of the Heritage Foundation, which is spearheading Project 2025.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

B. Loewe, Director of On Point Studios, came up with the concept for this game when working as the Communications Director at Bazta Arpaio in 2016, and is the executive producer of this revamped version. In the first version of the game, Bop the Bigot players used a chancla (flip flop) to “bop” the characters, tapping into Latino culture by leaning on the childhood experience of being set right by a flying chancla from a fed-up mother or grandmother.

This year, the chancla is replaced by a more current element, a green coconut, referencing Kamala Harris’ coconut tree meme. There are also side characters like “the couch,” cat ladies, and more coconuts. All references to jokes about Vice-Presidential candidate Vance, or insults Vance has made about women on the campaign trail.

Another new addition is that Harris’ laugh is immortalized as the game-over sound effect, an unexpected detail that adds even more humor and levity to the game.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump, Kevin Roberts, and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

Bop the Bigot, which is playable on desktop and mobile, is intended not just as a way to vent political frustrations, but also as a tool for activism and securing voter engagement.

For example, the game supports the work of Mexican Neidi Dominguez Zamorano, Founding Executive Director of the non-profit organization Organized Power in Numbers by using the “game over” screen to prompt players to donate to it and support their efforts.

Organized Power in Numbers is focused on empowering workers in the South and Southwest of the U.S. through collective action and comprehensive campaigns. Their mission is to create a large-scale movement that challenges the status quo and advocates for workers' rights, and racial and economic justice.

Currently, Dominguez Zamorano is leading worker outreach to 2 million working-class voters in the South and Southwest through doorknocking, texting, and calls with the help of local groups in North Carolina, Arizona, New Mexico, and more.

“We have been blown away by the enthusiastic reception for the video game. We knew we wanted to be part of its creative approach because our movement needs more fun and laughter. We need more ways to connect with nuestra gente so we can feel joy among all the absurdity we witness every day,” Dominguez Zamorano shared with Luz Media via email.

“Our people are gente trabajadora and we deserve to feel uplifted even in our toughest moments. We are deeply involved in the South and Southwest so we know what’s at stake in this election and we’re happy this can be a resource to mobilize, raise spirits, and get out the vote," she concluded.

Dominguez Zamorano is a committed activist for immigrants and workers' rights, known for her strategist skills and expertise. She played a key role in the campaign to win DACA and has also held roles in major campaigns, including as Deputy National States Director for Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. In addition to her work with Organized Power in Numbers, Dominguez Zamorano is serving as a Senior Advisor to Mijente’s Fuera Trump Initiative.

Grassroots efforts like these have taken on new life in 2024, with Bop the Bigot adding to the larger, ongoing fight against political apathy and disinformation. Just as it did during the 2016 race, the video game uses humor to soften the serious task at hand—getting people to the polls.

"We want the game to be a fun and comical outlet for anyone who’s been insulted, frustrated, or harmed by Trump in the past and everyone who is ready to move forward as a country after election day," explained Loewe in a press release. "The proposals in Project 2025 and the beliefs of Trump and Vance aren’t just weird, they’re truly harmful. We wanted to give people a humorous and peaceful way to smack down their racism and sexism. We hope it makes people laugh and also feel empowered and motivated to get to the polls on or before election day."

With a mix of satire, sharp political critique, and nostalgia, the game is a call to action. The upcoming election, which is getting closer by the minute, has sparked fierce activism and creative yet grounded initiatives like these aim to ensure voters are engaged, especially young Latinos and disenfranchised groups.