Understanding a Pacific Islander Young Adult Perspective on Access to Higher Education

Abstract

The Pacific Islander (PI) community suffers disproportionately from illnesses and diseases, including diabetes, heart disease and cancer. While there are tremendous health needs within the PI community, there are few health care providers from the community that exist to help address these particular needs. Many efforts have focused on health care workforce diversity to reduce and eliminate health disparities, but few have examined the issues faced in the health care work force pipeline. Understanding educational attainment among PI young adults is pivotal in speaking to a diverse health care workforce where health disparities among Pacific Islanders (PIs) may be addressed. This paper provides an in-depth, qualitative assessment of the various environmental, structural, socio-economic, and social challenges that prevent PIs from attaining higher education; it also discusses the various needs of PI young adults as they relate to psychosocial support, retention and recruitment, and health career knowledge and access. This paper represents a local, Southern California, assessment of PI young adults regarding educational access barriers. We examine how these barriers impact efforts to address health disparities and look at opportunities for health and health-related professionals to reduce and care for the high burden of illnesses and diseases in PI communities.

Where Do I Fit In? A Perspective on Challenges Faced by Asian American Medical Students

“…For example, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, who are often placed under the label “Asian,” face historical and social barriers that make accessing educational and professional opportunities difficult. 24 Furthermore, Southeast Asian Americans, such as Cambodian and Laotian Americans, have much lower household incomes and college education completion rates than many South and East Asian Americans. 23 AAMC data demonstrate that Southeast Asian Americans apply to medical school at a significantly lower rate than East and South Asian Americans.…”

Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander Student Progression through Community College: A Disaggregated Transcript Analysis

“…Of the research that exists regarding PI students in higher education, emerging themes concern limited socioeconomic opportunity for students and the need for greater institutional and social support and educational resources (Ah Sam & Robinson, 1998;Tran et al, 2010). PI students show strong extended family connections that can at times conflict with college obligations (Ah Sam & Robinson, 1998;Vakalahi, 2009, Tran et al, 2010.…”

“…Of the research that exists regarding PI students in higher education, emerging themes concern limited socioeconomic opportunity for students and the need for greater institutional and social support and educational resources (Ah Sam & Robinson, 1998;Tran et al, 2010). PI students show strong extended family connections that can at times conflict with college obligations (Ah Sam & Robinson, 1998;Vakalahi, 2009, Tran et al, 2010. Although much of the research is qualitative in nature, some quantitative research has suggested key variables such as culturally relevant pedagogy or college navigational skills are important for these students' success (Kana'iaupuni et al, 2011;Makuakane-Drechsel & Hagedorn, 2000;Panapasa et al, 2011;Sablan, 2015).…”

Community Health Scholars: a summer program developing a public health workforce pipeline for diverse high school students

“…Diversifying the educational pipeline requires addressing the educational barriers that impact underrepresented and marginalized populations in higher education (5)(6)(7)(8). Integrative approaches include providing affordable college credits, and college preparation activities to high school students which help to demystify the college-going experience for underrepresented and marginalized students (5,9).…”