Broken families have been the key result of the failing U.S. immigration system, which has effectively separated millions of fathers from their families, divided children from their parents, and caused thousands of women and mothers across the nation to abstain from food to force lawmakers to act on immigration reform and return their family members.

Seven in 10 Latinos in 2013 said it was important for Congress to pass significant new immigration legislation that year; the demand is higher among immigrants (80 percent) than U.S. born Latinos (57 percent). But even with all of the discussions and debates among policy makers over the last few years about immigration reform and the continual deportation of the immigrant community, immigration isn't the most important issue to the Latinos. In fact, Latino leaders say they believe that the hard-eyed focus on immigration reform is "crowding out other issues facing the Latino community." So what really concerns Latinos?

1. EDUCATION

Fifty-seven percent of Hispanic registered voters called education an "extremely important" issue facing the nation today, compared to the 32 percent who said the same of immigration. Education reform is imperative since Hispanics had the highest birth rates in 2010, with 80 births per 1,000 women of childbearing age, compared with 64 for blacks, 59 for whites and 56 for Asians. Additionally, one in three (33 percent) Hispanics are school age (under 18), meaning that improvements to the damaged education system is important for the overall success of Latino students, who are still struggling to get ahead.

"Even the most motivated, high-achieving low-income student faces big obstacles at every step in the process of preparing for, applying to, attending and graduating from four-year universities," said Bill Admans, co-founder of the Los Angeles chapter of Minds Matter. Admans also commented on challenges that low-income and Latino students face, naming a lack of school resources, failure to foster college and career readiness and an absence of tutors and mentors, which feeds the educational achievement gap.

2. HEALTHCARE

Forty-three percent of respondents to the Pew Research Center survey said healthcare was "extremely important." Immigration reform "now occupies almost all the Latino policy agenda, sucking up, as one colleague recently put it, all the oxygen on Latino issues," said Angelo Falcón, president of the National Institute for Latino Policy. While Obamacare has provided previously uninsured Latinos with healthcare, there are still concerns relating to healthcare. Open enrollment is closed, and many who are uninformed or undocumented are without insurance. Also, Latinos with new insurance don't necessarily know how to use it, and many have to pay a deductible or a copay. Medicaid offers low-cost or free insurance to those who qualify, but many Latinos say they don't know how to access healthcare information or facts.

3. JOBS

Fifty-two percent of respondents indicated that the economy was "extremely important." Hispanics feel that the recession hit them harder than other groups. In 2012, the economy and jobs (54 percent) ranked as high as education. Unemployment rates among Hispanics peaked at 12.3 percent in 2010, compared with 8.9 percent among non-Hispanics. The unemployment rate for Hispanics has steadily fallen since then (8.9 percent in 2013) but remains above pre-recession levels (4.9 percent in 2006). With trouble accessing high-paying positions because of crippled avenues to education, Latinos are often working multiple jobs while earning minimum wage. Additionally, the minimum wage is lower and labor unions are weaker than they are in any other wealthy country in the world.

Related