Hispanic leaders in Sacramento took the stage to discuss issues from illegal immigration to stereotyping at the Crest Theater on Monday night after an advanced screening of CNN’s upcoming documentary “Latino in America.”

Education was the most heated topic among the panel members, one of whom was Sacramento State President Alexander Gonzalez.

The other members of the panel included Marcos Breton, Sacramento Bee columnist; Francisco Castillo, communications director to first lady Maria Shriver and deputy press secretary to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger; and former Sen. Deborah Ortiz, D-Calif.

The event was hosted by Comcast and CNN. After the screening the panel took questions from audience members to voice opinions and concerns.

Budget cuts to the California State University and University of California systems were major concerns from the audience members.

“Education is the key to achieving the American dream,” Gonzalez said. “We must focus on education and make sure that the students graduate.”

Castillo said in order for more Latinos to graduate and succeed in this country, the education system needs to change.

“But you also must have personal drive,” Castillo said.

Audience members applauded when a student from UC Davis said she has not seen any changes in the California education system.

“You keep talking about changing the system, but I don’t see anything happening,” she said. “As an educator, what are you doing to change the system?”

Gonzalez responded by saying he decided to become the university president because he wanted to make a difference outside of a classroom. “I can’t please everyone,” Gonzalez said. “But I knew I could make a change on a broader level.”

The panel also discussed how U.S. culture, especially in California, is changing because the number of minority population is growing.

CNN reported that by 2050, the Hispanic population would triple, making it that fastest growing minority in the country.

The drop out rate for Hispanic high school students are very high; in some school districts in Southern California, such as in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the drop out rate is more than 50 percent.

“The issue we face is not new,” Gonzalez said. “(High drop-out rate) has always been a problem and it’s a cycle we need to break.”

The documentary premiers on CNN as a two-part series on Oct. 21 and 22 as a part of Hispanic Heritage Month.

The documentary will explore how Latinos are reshaping U.S. communities and how the view of the American dream is shifting.

Miyu Kataoka can be reached at [email protected].