The role of aspirations in the exclusion of Peruvian indigenous children

This contribution highlights a particular mechanism which underlies the exclusion ofindigenous people in Peru. More precisely, it analyses how aspirations contribute to thepersistence of inequality between ethnic groups. Relying on the Young Lives dataset, I findthat indigenous children do not limit their aspirations when compared with non-indigenouschildren with the same socio-economic background. Findings suggest that they do not haveinternalized racial schemas about their opportunities. However, aspirations are a channelthrough which inequality persists between ethnic groups, exacerbating the effect of socioeconomicstatus on educational achievement. Indeed, socio-economic status predicts levelsof aspiration, which in turn affects progress in language mastery.