The Discordant Dash for Doctoral Degrees

Let’s start with the premise that the pursuit and award of a doctoral degree equals economic privilege. Add in a dash of consideration for J. Elspeth Stuckey’s idea that by the time mainstream students reach the ninth grade, they have already achieved an elite academic status (The Violence of Literacy). Now take a quick glance at table #283 (page 23) in the Census Bureau’s updated 2004-2005 Statistical Abstract of the American Indian and Alaska Native Population: http://www.census.gov/statab/www/sa04aian.pdf.

This should be disturbing to more people than myself. I am just one short week away from taking my comprehensive exams (for my doctoral degree), so am trying to concentrate on reviewing, but find my attention sidelined by details such as this. Once again, as with my prior post on economic disparity within my home academic institution, I find myself distracted and upset and wondering what the hell is the answer to this problem?

Look specifically at the “Doctor’s degrees” section of Table 283 “Degrees Earned by Level and Race/Ethnicity: 1981-2002.” Notice anything strange?

The number of doctoral degrees conferred to Blacks, Hispanics, Asian or Pacific Islanders (which, by the way, is a misnomer since many Pacific Islanders consider themselves more “indigenous” than “Asian”), and Nonresident Aliens (whatever the hell that means) ALL increased in the number of degrees earned from 1981 to 2002. The number of degrees to whites went down 18%, but I honestly don’t think that’s a problem, considering whites still outnumber all other groups by a considerable sum. The only group that stayed the same was American Indian/Alaska Native - .4% in 1981 and .4% in 2002. The real number difference shows a total increase of 50 degrees, but with a severe drop in 1990 to 98 (a drop shared during that same time only with Black/Non-Hispanics…have to wonder if U.S. economic policies of the 1980s had anything to do with that), which means that unlike Hispanics, Asians, and Nonresident Aliens that made consistent upward progress in this category, American Indians and Alaska Natives somehow found themselves fighting an uphill battle for elite academic (and ostensibly economic) status.

But wait. This uphill battle is a pretty consistent problem for Native peoples – from challenges with literacy to continued treaty and land disputes with the U.S. federal government, tribes are certainly striving in their own, self-defined ways to overcome considerable obstacles, but this doctoral degree disparity seems especially problematic. Why? Well, for one thing, remember that I started with the premise that we can all agree, regardless of racial or economic background, that obtaining a PhD equates to economic privilege and status…and flat out more money. Anyone with a doctorate is generally going to make more than someone without a doctorate – regardless of field or industry and irrespective of how and where that degree is used (whether in a university or in the government or in the private sector). The fact that American Indians are essentially earning almost the same number of doctorates in 2002 as in 1981 while all other non-white groups saw some kind of positive change indicates that perhaps Native communities don’t value this highest degree as much as other groups? Or perhaps not enough Native undergraduates matriculate and continue on into graduate school? Or perhaps a lack of funding opportunities, despite an abundant focus on diversity initiatives and affirmative action-esque quotas on college campuses?

I don’t have an answer to this frustrating and easily identified problem, but it seems pretty clear that there is a problem related to higher education in our Native American communities. Of course, I know that the problems run much deeper than this. However, education and economic opportunity have always been tightly bound together, especially in the U.S. and especially now in modern (or “postmodern”) times. Looking at these numbers is like looking at a fence…the barrier is clear. The disparity shown by this formal statistical table relates to thousands of Native people living in less-than-desirable economic situations. Think about it. If more Native students went on to graduate school, chances are pretty good that they would make more money for their families…if we can look at other groups and our own situations as comparable examples.

If we, as a people in this nation, claim to believe that education is the “answer” to economic problems…why aren’t we doing more to help this particular group solve its own problems through higher educational achievement? At the very least, more non-Native people should be aware of this problem. And more people should give a damn about it - maybe then our leaders would also pay attention to disparities such as this.

Interesting that no politician currently running for President has meaningfully addressed Native communities and their concerns thusfar, beyond some lip service. Telling. Very telling.

(Edit: The Dems allowed this one tribal college president to speak: http://www.reznetnews.org/article/united-tribes-technical-college/tribal-college-president-decries-poverty-indian-country
...wonder if the Repubs have a similar plan?)