The violence against Mexican students in schools in East Harlem is a problem of the clash of ethnic groups. Recent immigrants are being dominated by more established groups because they lack representation in the city’s public policies.

This is how Angelo Cabrera, a Mexican political analyst sees it. He added, “An ethnic clash is occurring between communities of recent immigrants and already established groups, something that should not happen if the authorities were paying more attention to the needs of both communities.

“The increase in youth violence is seen reflected in the Mexican student community, which is falling victim to vandalism,” said Cabrera, a CUNY graduate.

Specifically, in El Barrio, Cabrera said, “there is a generations-long history of ethnic groups that have dominated East Harlem, from Italians, Irish, Jewish, Puerto Ricans, to Mexicans today. A displacement of political and economic dominance is taking place in our community and will end in a power struggle that will harm our students. Frequently, Mexican students have to fight back against verbal and physical abuse in school, since they are regarded as being weak. Their migratory, social, economic and political status plays an important role in the way a student is seen in the academic community,” he added.

Faced with this, he said, “This can cause problems for upcoming generations. On the educational side, many of our young people could be affected in their academic progress because they are being beaten up in school, a place where violence should not exist,” he concluded.