Introduction
Native Hawaiians have a low socioeconomic status compared to other ethnicities in Hawai’i. The consistency of low socioeconomic status means the Native Hawaiian population often has low education levels, low occupational prestige, the highest unemployment rates, lowest life expectancy, and often fall to the lowest quality of life scales (Rohrer, 2005, 86). Low education levels among Native Hawaiians is very important to their low socioeconomic status because education often leads to better jobs. Education also leads to higher occupational prestige. With Native Hawaiian’s low education level their representation in better paying jobs is often very low. The small amount of higher paying jobs among the Native Hawaiian population
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leads to high amounts of poverty. Low lifespan because of lack of medical care and a large amount of health problems cause Native Hawaiians to have low socioeconomic status because of the inability to save money. Many people blame Native Hawaiians for their low socioeconomic status and say that they are playing the victim in society and expecting the government to help. This will not help reverse the problem of low socioeconomic status for Native Hawaiians. The victim blaming of Native Hawaiians for their low socioeconomic status can be explained by three frames of colorblind racism; abstract liberalism, cultural racism, and the minimization of racism. The disparities faced by the Native Hawaiians have many different aspects that are all linked together. Much of the problems can be related to the lack of higher education among Native Hawaiians. Native Hawaiians will continue to remain in a low socioeconomic status as a result of ethnic inequalities that are stopping their future generations from succeeding and preventing the Native Hawaiian community from coming out of their socioeconomic disparities. Low Education Levels Education is the most important tool in raising socioeconomic status. Native Hawaiians are at a disadvantage in education from the start all the way up to the university level. The federal government has recorded Native Hawaiian students by their educational data showing that they are “falling below average in performance and disproportionately represented in negative social, physical, and cognitive scales” (Rohrer, 2010, 94). This leads to many not continuing onto higher education. At the University of Hawai’I at Mānoa in fall 2004, 7.9 percent of the students were Hawaiian or part Hawaiian (Rohrer, 2010, 96). This is a very low representation of Native Hawaiians in higher education. The rise in costs to attend a university is what deters many Native Hawaiians from going to school. The low socioeconomic status of Native Hawaiians causes many to remain in the public school system.
Congressional findings in 2006 states that Native Hawaiians students start school behind other students, continuously have low scores on standardized tests, they are overrepresented among the students with learning disabilities, and they are more likely to be held back a grade level (Rohrer, 2010, 95). Native Hawaiian students, compared to other ethnicities, on average start out in schools doing poorly. Child abuse and neglect disproportionately affects Native Hawaiian Children (Rohrer, 2010, 95). As a result many don’t receive the help at home they need to be able to further their education. This disproportion of low test scores and inability to do well in school sets many Native Hawaiians on the path of low-income jobs because of inability to enter into higher …show more content…
education. The rate of Native Hawaiian workers with college degrees is 42.2 percent versus 57.5 percent of Non-Native Hawaiians (Naya, 2007, 15). Similarly the amount of University of Hawai’i students that graduated in science or technology degrees was 7 percent versus 14.1 percent of Non-Native Hawaiians (Naya, 2007, 15). The disproportion of Native Hawaiian not continuing on to higher education is a very important factor in their low socioeconomic status. A degree increases Native Hawaiian’s likelihood of getting out of their low socioeconomic status because it opens up a wider range of upper-level jobs. The rising cost of tuition creates unfair opportunities for Native Hawaiians because it causes college to become unaffordable. With their low socioeconomic status, low income, and restricted access to a higher education it makes it impossible for Native Hawaiians to send their children to college therefore creating continual cycle of low socioeconomic status in Hawai’I among Native Hawaiians (Okamura, 2008, 53). Low Occupational Prestige Native Hawaiians face many disadvantages in the work force.
Since the 1990s, if not earlier, the low socioeconomic status of Native Hawaiians has changed very little and even in jobs that have the same characteristics and are the same occupation there is still a disadvantage to Native Hawaiians (Harada, 2009, 56). In a study done Native Hawaiian males were 0.65 times less likely to enter professional and managerial positions than whites (Harada, 2009, 48). “A high percentage of Native Hawaiians are in service, sales, construction, and other unskilled manual jobs while a low proportion are in lucrative jobs such as engineering, medicine, or management (Harada, 2009, 9). This high proportion of Native Hawaiians having unskilled manual jobs, which often have very low pay, is a leading factor in Native Hawaiian’s low socioeconomic status. The inability for Native Hawaiians to have a large amount of savings or income makes it difficult to borrow money from private banks to start a business (Naya, 2007, 2). The continuation of Native Hawaiian low socioeconomic status is a reflection of the combined affects of ethnic inequalities passed on from generation to generation (Okamura, 2008,
53). Native Hawaiian men who obtain a degree don’t always get paid the same amount as Non-Native Hawaiians. Native Hawaiians college graduates gain only $2,000, whereas Filipinos gain $5000, whites gain $10,00 and Japanese gain $15,000(Harada, 2009, 11). Even if a Native Hawaiian obtains a degree it does not always ensure their way out of a low socioeconomic status. Native Hawaiians who attain higher education than whites, in the sales and service sector, often have a lower salary than their Non-Native Hawaiian counterparts (Harada, 2009, 9). Even if Native Hawaiians get a higher education and obtain higher-level jobs it is still not guaranteed that it will move them out of their low socioeconomic status. Native Hawaiians low socioeconomic status result in low occupational and income jobs that make it impossible to save money to start a business of their own. In Hawaii there are “3.2 business firms per 100 Native Hawaiians compared to 10.4 firms for Non-Native Hawaiians” (Naya, 2007, 16). Since borrowing requires collateral many Native Hawaiians will have a difficult time obtaining a loan because of their low income (Naya, 2007, 16). Native Hawaiians are severely underrepresented as business owners compared to Non-Native Hawaiians. Even though Native Hawaiians are the largest recipient of public assistance income in Hawaii their per capita income in 2005 was $16,932 versus $27,414 for Non-Native Hawaiians (Naya, 2007, 14). Even though there are public assistance programs available it is not enough to improve Native Hawaiians income disparity. Most Native Hawaiians are stuck in low-wage and low-mobility jobs resulting in their inability to move upward for themselves and their children (Okamura, 2008, 56). Poverty Among Native Hawaiians As a result of low education levels and low-end jobs many Native Hawaiians are forced to live in poverty. There is an overwhelming amount of statistics proving Native Hawaiians are among the largest group to live in poverty in Hawai’i. According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2005 15 percent of Native Hawaiians lived in Poverty compared to the U.S. average of 13.3 percent and the Hawaii average of 9.8 percent (Naya, 2007, 3). There is a large amount of homelessness in Hawai’i and Native Hawaiians make up a substantial portion of that. A reason is because of the inability to find a job that will pay enough to support oneself. One possible explanation to the high poverty levels of Native Hawaiians is the large family sizes. Bigger families cost more money and with children who are not able to work this puts a substantial strain on the parents to provide. The insufficient amount of money most Native Hawaiians make prevents them from raising their socioeconomic status. In the 1999 U.S. census the average income for Native Hawaiian Male was $35,049 and female was $26,654 which are both below the Hawai’i median of $36,808 and $29,831 respectively (Okamura, 2008, 51). The poverty level can all be related to the amount of education that is available for Native Hawaiians and the jobs that go along with the limited education. Jobs like bus drivers, janitors, maids, retail sales workers, and other manual jobs are all low paying jobs that many Native Hawaiian people are forced occupy because of a lack of funding for education or upward movement. In a study conducted by SMS Research it was found that of the homeless population in Hawai’i over 20 percent were Native Hawaiian (Mikelsons, et. al.,1996, 4). This large amount of homeless Native Hawaiian people is due to their low-income level. Without the ethnic disadvantages facing Native Hawaiians in education it is hard to find a job that will allow a person to live comfortably in Hawaii. Which causes many Native Hawaiian families to go homeless. Hawai’i is a very expensive place to live so when a person has an average income that is below the median level it is almost impossible to survive here, especially if they have a large household. According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2005 the average family size for Native Hawaiians is 3.87 compared to 3.40 for Non-Native Hawaiians (Naya, 2007, 15). A Native Hawaiian household is not always defined by the nuclear family. The high cost of housing forces some Native Hawaiian families to live with extended family or even nonrelated people under one roof. Among Native Hawaiian owner households 17 percent live with a subfamily compared to Non-Native Hawaiian households, which is only 5 percent (Mikelsons, et. al., 1996, 25). The scarcity and price of housing in Hawai’i results in many Native Hawaiian families living together to avoid homelessness. Poverty among Native Hawaiians is due to low education levels, low paying jobs, and the high cost of living in Hawai’i that causes some Native Hawaiians to either be homeless or combining extended families into one household.
1. According to Pizarro, “Chicanas and Chicanos face the highest dropout rates of any major ethnic group in the United States- as many as half of a given cohort of Chicana and Chicano students does not complete high school- and their relative educational outcomes have been stable or have worsened over time.” (Pizarro, 1).
Ever human being has its own race, it is a categorization of human beings, for example, people are divided into black, white, Asian, Hispanic (Latino), and Hawaiian or others. These people share different cultures and languages, somehow these people immigrant into the same country and produce the next generation of “mix” cultures. This concept can be seen in both The End of Race: Hawaii and the Mixing of Peoples, by Steve Olson, and What 's Black, Then White, and Said All Over by Leslie Savan. In The End of Race: Hawaii and the Mixing of Peoples, Olson addresses the idea that someday there will be no race exist, but human might still share different cultures, and in What 's Black, Then White, and Said All Over, Savan describes the black language
In the book “Academic Profiling” by Gilda L. Ocho, the author gives evidence that the “achievement gap” between Latinos and Asian American youth is due to faculty and staff of schools racially profiling students into educational tracks that both limit support and opportunities for Latinos and creates a divide between the two groups. Intersectionality, the ways in which oppressive in...
Pewewardy, C., & Fitzpatrick, M. (2009). Working with American Indian students and families: Disabilities, issues, and interventions. Intervention in School and Clinic, 45(2), 91-98.
Although working Hmong families in the United States typically are self-employed as small farmers or work in the fast food industry, production companies, in the professional field and in the medical field (Vang, 2005). Many working Hmong families remain financially poor due to low wages and large family size. Data collected from the 2000 Census reported that the Hmong and Cambodian families had the lowest median income of all Asian groups. The approximate median incomes of Hmong and Cambodian families are $32,400 to $35,600 (Reeves & Bennett,
Hawaiians should have rights to their own land and not let foreigners disrupt their daily habits and life. If a foreigner takes allegiance to Hawai’i they not only have the accessibility of a citizen but also the perks that go with citizenship. Foreigners would be able to marry the women of Hawai’i while they have wives back home in their previous motherland. Foreigners that are aiding to Hawai’i can stay as aliens and be just as effective. There is no need for them to gain citizenship and take an oath of allegiance for their help. If a foreigner wants a piece a land all he needs to do is take an oath of allegiance and he is able to have a piece of land. If too many foreigners enter Hawai’i, their culture will take over. The majority will consist of the foreigners and their government will take over. Too many foreigners will cause much more damage to the native Hawaiian population. The number of full Hawaiians will decrease if foreigners continue to enter the island of Hawai’i.
MacKenzie, Melody Kapilialoha. (1991). Native Hawaiian Rights Handbook. Honolulu: Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation/ Office of Hawaiian Affairs, p. 24.
The United States educational system faces a major challenge in addressing the disenfranchisement of youth due to poverty and racism in the schools. The U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 found that “currently about one-quarter of Blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans are living in poverty in the U.S. compared to less than 10% of Asian Americans or Whites.” (Hughes et al. 2010, p. 2) Hughes, Newkirk & Stenhjem (2010) identified the stressors children living in poverty faced caused young adolescents to suffer mental and physical health issues which resulted in anxiety, hypertension, fear and depression. Lack of health care, neighborhood crime levels, joblessness, prejudice, and inadequate housing are among the many reasons multi-cultural youth from high poverty backgrounds become disenfranchised from the American school system. Race, racism, and poverty combine to create a triple jeopardy which severely impacts the fulfillment of the need of young adolescents to experience a sense of belonging and cultural competence. Lack of supportive environments both in school, society, work, and family life often prevent students from developing the cultural competence minority students must develop in order to become fully successful. For the purposes of this essay key issues were identified regarding the disenfranchisement of Native American youth, such as systemic prejudice and cultural bias within the school system which resulted in loss of connectedness of Navajo youth to school, teachers, and family. Galliher, Jones, & Dahl (2010) identified cultural connectedness as being the key component necessary in order to reengage the Native American student within the educational environment.
She explains that African American and Latina/o students and their families continue to have high educational aspirations despite persistent education inequities. The culture of power as the “norm” of Whites.
According to the Pew Research Center data, recent trends shows that Asian Americans are the “the highest-income, best-educated and fastest-growing racial group in the United States” ("The Rise o...
Although poverty rates on some reservations are getting better because of gambling enterprises and natural resources, most reservations have unusually high poverty rates. In 2000, the poverty rate of the entire United States was about 11.3%. Compare that to a 25.9% poverty rate for Native Americans living on reservations. The poverty rate of Native Americans in 2000 was higher than the peak of the poverty rate of the Great Depression, which was 21.7% (Native American Statistics”). This statistic alone shows that Native Americans are not doing well financially.
Even when low-income schools manage to find adequate funding, the money doesn’t solve all the school’s problems. Most importantly, money cannot influence student, parent, teacher, and administrator perceptions of class and race. Nor can money improve test scores and make education relevant and practical in the lives of minority students. School funding is systemically unequal, partially because the majority of school funding comes from the school district’s local property taxes, positioning the poorest communities at the bottom rung of the education playing field. A student’s socioeconomic status often defines her success in a classroom for a number of reasons.
Jean Giddens (2013) defines culture as “a pattern of shared attitudes, beliefs, self-definitions, norms, roles, and values that can occur among those who speak a particular language, or live in a defined geographical region.” (Giddens, 2013). A person’s culture influences every aspect that person’s life. Beliefs affected by culture include how someone interacts within the family, how to raise children, the types of foods eaten, the style of clothes chosen, which religion is practiced, and the style of communication (including verbal, and body language, slang used etc.) (Giddens, 2013). In addition to these beliefs, health care practices are also affected by culture. The cause
The circumstances the Native American people endured clarify their current issues. American Indians have poor education and a high percent are unemployed when equated to “U.S. all races” (Spector, 2009, p. 205). Many American Indians still live on reservations and work as a
It is the same with the uneven rate of Asians’ income. According to Golash-Boza, some Chinese and Indian men have greater personal budgets than white people, but not Laotian, Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Hmong Americans. In addition, it makes sense when some Asians earn more than the white when they had better education and worked harder in schools. However, studies show Asian Americans have low...