csmcsm ResearchResearch BriefsBriefs

College of San Mateo / 1700 West Hillsdale Blvd. / San Mateo, CA 94402 Office of Articulation & Research STUDENTS AT COLLEGE OF SAN MATEO INTRODUCTION Pacific Islanders are a small but distinct and important It is difficult to obtain accurate trend data document- component of College of San Mateo’s total student ing the growth of Pacific Islanders living in the population. Pacific Islanders include diverse popula- . Until the 2000 Census, peoples of tions in terms of nationality, language, culture, and Asian and Pacific ancestry (comprised of at least 30 geographic origin. They are of Polynesian, different ethnic groups) were classified as a single Micronesian, and Melanesian backgrounds. The category. The terminology used to categorize these Polynesian (“many islands”) group is the largest of groups is not standardized and often unclear. In the three and includes , , addition, because of constant changes in the ethnic Tongans, and . The Micronesian (“ of ancestry categories employed in the 1970, 1980, 1990, Volume 11 / Number 2 /March 2002 small islands”) group, the second largest, is primarily and 2000 Census, precise longitudinal trend data for Guamanina (or Chamorros), but also includes other the Pacific Island population is virtually impossible. Mariana Islanders, Marshall Islanders, Gilbert Island- This meant that the single demographic category ers, Palauans, and several other groups. Among the “Asian and Pacific Islander” included a vast array of Melanesian (“islands of blacks”) group, the Fijian ethnic groups, cultures, nationalities, languages, and population is the largest, but also includes New geographic regions. Hence, “Asian/Pacific Islander” Guineans and Solomon Islanders. included people from Pakistan on the West and Figure 1 San Mateo County Public High School Graduates Completing UC/CSU A-F Subject Requirements, By Ethnicity 1999-2000 80% 70.9% 70% 60% 49.9% 50% 45.4% 40% 35.1%

30% 22.0% 20% 14.8% 15.1% 10% 0% African Asian Filipino Hispanic Pacific White All Students American (n=694) (n=535) (n=1184) Islander (n=2055) (n=5920) (n=223) (n=139) Table 1 SAN MATEO COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT Pacific Island Student Enrollment (Headcount) Fall 1981 - Fall 2001 Term Cañada % Change College of % Change Skyline % Change SMCCCD % Change College (Prior Year) San Mateo (Prior Year) College (Prior Year) Total (Prior Year) Fall 1981 7 n/a 26 n/a 26 n/a 59 n/a Fall 1982 8 14.3% 31 19.2% 26 0.0% 65 10.2% Fall 1983 23 187.5% 46 48.4% 20 -23.1% 89 36.9% Fall 1984 26 13.0% 96 108.7% 25 25.0% 147 65.2% Fall 1985 19 -26.9% 106 10.4% 69 176.0% 194 32.0% Fall 1986 40 110.5% 137 29.2% 84 21.7% 261 34.5% Fall 1987 47 17.5% 154 12.4% 88 4.8% 289 10.7% Fall 1988 52 10.6% 162 5.2% 102 15.9% 316 9.3% Fall 1989 47 -9.6% 159 -1.9% 114 11.8% 320 1.3% Fall 1990 58 23.4% 174 9.4% 124 8.8% 356 11.3% Fall 1991 55 -5.2% 207 19.0% 135 8.9% 397 11.5% Fall 1992 58 5.5% 195 -5.8% 126 -6.7% 379 -4.5% Fall 1993 49 -15.5% 194 -0.5% 104 -17.5% 347 -8.4% Fall 1994 47 -4.1% 221 13.9% 106 1.9% 374 7.8% Fall 1995 55 17.0% 199 -10.0% 104 -1.9% 358 -4.3% Fall 1996 64 16.4% 214 7.5% 110 5.8% 388 8.4% Fall 1997 52 -18.8% 167 -22.0% 136 23.6% 355 -8.5% Fall 1998 54 3.8% 191 14.4% 147 8.1% 392 10.4% Fall 1999 60 11.1% 194 1.6% 142 -3.4% 396 1.0% Fall 2000 58 -3.3% 183 -5.7% 141 -0.7% 382 -3.5% Fall 2001 67 15.5% 221 20.8% 177 25.5% 465 21.7% % Change F'1981- F'2001 857.1% n/a 750.0% n/a 580.8% n/a 688.1% n/a

included all countries lying East of Pakistan, including AND SAN MATEO COUNTY the countries of South Asia (e.g., India, Nepal, The 2000 Census is the first national enumeration Bangladesh); Southeast Asia (e.g., Vietnam, Cambodia, that made Pacific Islanders a separate racial category. , Laos, Philippines); East Asia (e.g., Collectively, they are the smallest racial group, num- Mongolia, China, Hong Kong, Macao, Japan); and the bering just under 476,000 in 2000. The 2000 Census vast geographic area known as the Pacific Islands. revealed the following facts: Asian/Pacific Islander thus included more than 60 • Nearly 60% of all Pacific Islanders live in Califor- nationalities and ethnic groups speaking more than nia and . 100 languages and dialects. Moreover, some ethnic • Of the 117,000 Pacific Islanders living in Califor- groups have confusing origins and are sometimes nia, 8.0% (9,403) live in San Mateo County alone. associated with a variety of geo-political divisions. • Statewide, Pacific Islanders comprise 0.3% of all For example, the Hmong occupy Southern China, residents; the comparable figure for San Mateo Laos, Thailand, and Northern Vietnam. County is 1.3%. This report examines trends in the enrollment of • Within San Mateo County, Pacific Islanders Pacific Islanders at College of San Mateo and the San comprise 7.5% (2,213) of all residents living in Mateo County Community College District, Fall 1981 East Palo Alto—making East Palo Alto the city through Fall 2001. In addition, Statewide and San with nearly the largest proportional concentration Mateo County trends in the growth of the Pacific of Pacific Islanders in the continental United Islander population, as well as K – 12 enrollment, are States. presented. Figure 2 CSM Pacific Island Student Enrollment -- By Age Fall 1996 - Fall 2001 [6-Term Average]

50% 44.4% (N=1170)

40% 35.2%

30%

20% 9.6% 10% 6.3% 4.5%

0% < 20 Years 20-25 26-30 31-39 > 40 Years K – 12 ENROLLMENT AND ACADEMIC PERFOR- SMCCCD ENROLLMENT TRENDS, FALL 1981 – MANCE: SAN MATEO COUNTY FALL 2001 • Although Pacific Islanders comprise only 1.3% of • Table 1 displays the total headcount enrollment of the total San Mateo County population, they Pacific Islanders in the individual colleges compris- represent 3.3% of the total K –12 enrollment in ing the San Mateo County Community College San Mateo County public schools. District (SMCCCD), Fall 1981 – Fall 2001. • Along with African American and Hispanic high Districtwide, Pacific Islanders have grown from a school students, Pacific Islanders have among the mere 59 students to 465, a proportional change of highest dropout rates – 12.6%. nearly 700%. • The proportion of Pacific Islander high school • In terms of absolute numbers, Pacific Islander graduates completing “A-F” subject requirements students have increased dramatically. However, required for admission to the University of measured in terms of proportional total District California or the California State University enrollment, Pacific Islanders increased during this systems is only 15.1%. This rate compares to the period of time but remained a relatively small following “A-F” completion rates for other ethnic component of total student enrollment—0.2% vs. groups: Asian – 70.9%; White – 49.9%; Filipino 1.8%. 45.4%; Hispanic – 22.0%; African American – 14.8%. [See Figure 1] Figure 3 CSM Pacific Island Student Enrollment -- By Gender Fall 1996 - Fall 2001 [6-Term Average] (N=1161)

44.0% Female

56.0% Male Figure 4 CSM Successful Course Completion Rates Fall 1996 - Fall 2001 (6-Term Average) 75% 73% 70.3% 71% 69% 67% 65% 61.9% 63% 61% 59% 57% 55% Pacific Islanders All CSM Students CSM STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS • Pacific Islander students are considerably younger tion and to challenge the college to provide quality than the typical CSM student: approximately 80% services targeting the needs of the Pacific Island are 25 years old or younger. More than one-third community. (35.2%) are recent high school graduates. (See Approximately 140 Pacific Islander students graduate Figure 2) In comparison, only 50.0% of all CSM from San Mateo County public schools each year. Of students are 25 years old or younger; only 21.0% these, approximately one-third (35 %) enroll at the of CSM students are recent high school graduates. College of San Mateo. This figure indicates the • 56.0% of Pacific Islanders are men. (See Figure 3) existence of barriers to access for the Pacific Island In contrast, men comprise only 47.6% of the total community. These barriers include more than the CSM student population. cost of attending college. Student access is also • Pacific Islander’s successful course completion limited by the academic calendar, course scheduling, rates (i.e., percent receiving a grade of “A,” “B,” an unclear path to transfer, limited course offerings, “C,” or “Credit”) are approximately 10% less than and student support services not tailored to the the CSM Collegewide average: 61.9% vs. 70.3%. specific needs of the Pacific Island population. (See Figure 4) • The proportion of first-time Pacific Islander College of San Mateo is exploring a variety of students not enrolling in core academic coursework initiatives and projects that will attract, retain, and leading to degree/certificate completion or transfer support the success of Pacific Island students. is high. These rates are: English – 61.2%; reading Projects under consideration include a “Puente-type” – 70.0%; mathematics – 57.8%. model currently designed to enhance the success of Hispanic students in completing college-level English; CONCLUSION creating a similar “Puente-type” structure for math- The data presented in this report document the ematics coursework; community outreach targeting increasing growth of the Pacific Islander population Pacific Island high school students and their families; within the State of California and San Mateo County and other types of linked courses and learning and a concomitant increase in the enrollment of communities tailored to the needs of Pacific Island Pacific Islander students in the SMCCCD and the students. College of San Mateo. These data indicate a need for For further information, contact the the college to create new incentives that would Office of Articulation and Research. motivate increasing numbers of Pacific Island stu- Phone: (650) 574-6196 dents to actively pursue a community college educa- Fax: (650) 358-6831 Internet: www.smccd.net/accounts/sewart/research