Minorities
tend to pick familiar majors
By
Georgina De Los Santos
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
According to the “Degree Granted by Major and Ethnicity Report” of
spring 2005, the most popular major among Latinos who graduate was Liberal
Studies Track I, preparation for elementary teaching. Latino students earned
122 Liberal Studies Track I degrees of the 414 that were granted last spring.
Jose Moreno, a professor from the Chicano Latino studies department said, “Both
Latino and African American students go into these fields because they are
community oriented.”
These students want to help improve their communities, he said.
Also, he said, “Most students are not exposed to other areas of study
and most importantly they are not prepared.”
When Latino students start college their majors are evenly spread, but toward
the end they tend to change.
According to Moreno, this is because students do not relate to the areas they
have chosen.
“
They need a connection,” he said. “Students need someone like
them, someone they can relate too.”
Among Black students who were granted a degree last spring, the most common
major was social work.
Maulana Karenga, undergraduate adviser and professor from the black studies
department, said there are several reasons why students of color choose social
science majors.
First he said, “They are from families and communities which stress social
service and social action.”
Second, Karenga stated, “These students are from communities which are
in the midst of social action, who struggle to create a just and good society
and these conditions have an important impact on the choices the students make,” especially
in terms of their professions and life work.
Karenga also said, “In terms of social work, both the chair, Dr. John
Oliver, and the faculty have developed a reputation of positive outreach and
support and this too impacts the choices students make.”
In spring 2005 the majority of Asian-American students majored in liberal studies
and computer science. However, a higher amount of students majored in finance
and computer methods as their second major.
Chairman of the Asian and Asian-American studies, John N. Tsuchida said, “Students
major in math and science because they are good at it.”
According to Tuschida, “Many students want a secure profession with less
competition.”
Tuschida also said a factor in aiming for these majors is they require less
language skills.
“
If you can do math you do math, and computers is a language of it’s
own,” he said.
The reason for this he said is, “Some students of immigrant backgrounds
have difficulty with the English language and so they tend go into areas where
they feel more comfortable.”
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