Poverty and Homelessness Amoung Youth in Texas

      Texas is a state known for its patriotism, but underneath its national and loyal spirit is a state in deep turmoil. Texas was ranked highest in the nation for poverty among youth (The National Center on Family Homelessness). Because of high homeless and unemployment rates due to the current economic crisis, the future of this state’s youth is looking dismal, with 23% of children living below the poverty line. There is a total of 337,000 homeless children living in Texas - 32,000 of which are high school students. The dominant reason I would visit Texas is to expose the state’s failing education system, which is closely linked to the disturbingly high poverty rates. The high school graduation rate for homeless students is less than 25%, therefore the majority of the 337,000 homeless youth in Texas will not obtain a high school diploma. It is an unfortunate circumstance, but in the American educational system, the more affluent the individual, the more opportunities that person has to succeed. Poverty and homelessness is a vicious and incessant circle. Most impoverished people are likely to pass on to their own children decreased opportunities and unless this issue is addressed, poverty rates will continue to rise. The main reason I would like to visit Texas is to document and open the world’s eyes to the hundreds of thousands of children with no homes, whose futures look dark and dismal and who will never get the chance to follow and succeed in their own dreams.