2009 Mcnair Scholars Journal
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The McNair Scholars Journal of the University of Washington Volume VIII Spring 2009 THE MCNAIR SCHOLARS JOURNAL UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON McNair Program Office of Minority Affairs University of Washington 375 Schmitz Hall Box 355845 Seattle, WA 98195-5845 [email protected] http://depts.washington.edu/uwmcnair The Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program operates as a part of TRIO Programs, which are funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Cover Art by Jeff Garber www.jeffgarberphoto.com University of Washington McNair Program Staff Program Director Gabriel Gallardo, Ph.D. Associate Director Gene Kim, Ph.D. Program Coordinator Rosa Ramirez Graduate Student Advisors Audra Gray Teresa Mares Ashley McClure Hoang Ngo McNair Scholars‘ Research Mentors Dr. Rick Bonus, Department of American Ethnic Studies Dr. Sarah Bryant-Bertail, Department of Drama Dr. Tony Gill, Department of Political Science Dr. Doug Jackson, Department of Oral Medicine Dr. Bryan D. Jones, U.W. Center of Politics and Public Policy Dr. Ralina Joseph, Department of Communications Dr. Elham Kazemi, Department of Education Dr. Neal Lesh, Department of Computer Engineering Dr. Firoozeh Papan-Matin, Persian and Iranian Studies Program Dr. Dian Million, American Indian Studies Program Dr. Aseem Prakas, Department of Political Science Dr. Kristin Swanson, Department of Pathology Dr. Ed Taylor, Dean of Undergraduate Academic Affair/ Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Dr. Susan H. Whiting, Department of Political Science Dr. Shirley Yee, Department of Comparative History of Ideas Volume VIII Copyright 2009 ii From the Vice President and Vice Provost for Diversity One of the great delights of higher education is that it provides young scholars an opportunity to pursue research in a field that interests and engages them. The McNair Scholars Program offers support and opportunity for students to pursue scholarly research, and The McNair Scholars Journal plays an important part in that support by publishing their results. The Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity is pleased to publish the eighth edition of The McNair Scholars Journal of the University of Washington. The McNair Scholars Program offers opportunities to a diverse group of students—students who may not otherwise get the chance to work closely with a faculty mentor on in-depth research. The young scholars who participate in the McNair program are among the most motivated and dedicated undergraduates at the UW. Their hard word and accomplishments put them in a position to succeed in graduate school. The McNair Scholars Journal plays an important part in the career of these young scholars by publishing their research at an early stage. Please join me in thanking the faculty, staff and students who came together and made this journal possible. Sheila Edwards Lange, Ph.D. Vice President for Minority Affairs Vice Provost for Diversity iii From the Director I am very pleased to present the eighth edition of the University of Washington‘s McNair Scholars Journal to our reading audience. The collective excellence of these sixteen projects is a testament to the hard work of our students and the unwavering support of faculty mentors who supervised these projects. As always, I want to extend my gratitude to the faculty, whose guidance and support has allowed our students to grow in meaningful ways, while giving our scholars the foundation to enter graduate school with confidence and solid research experience. The McNair Program at the University of Washington strives to create meaningful academic experiences that will enable our students to succeed at the next level. The research component for McNair Scholars has two specific goals: First, engage students in the research enterprise at the undergraduate level, so they develop the analytical and methodological skills, academic sophistication, and confidence that will make them successful students in graduate school. Second, provide students a unique opportunity to publish their undergraduate research, so the scholars gain an early understanding of the critical role that publishing will play in their academic careers. In this respect, the McNair Journal is a key component in the preparation of our scholars for careers in research and teaching. Our journal involves the work of several people who work behind the scenes proofreading, editing and preparing the final draft for publication. I would like to extend my appreciation to the UW McNair staff, Dr. Gene Kim, Associate Director, Rosa Ramirez, Program Coordinator, and our graduate student staff, Audra, Teresa, Hoang and Ashley, for their commitment to the McNair mission and for bringing this project to completion. They are an asset to the program and have been instrumental in preparing this high quality journal. On behalf of the entire McNair Staff, I sincerely hope that you enjoy reading the eighth edition of the McNair Scholars Journal. Dr. Gabriel E. Gallardo Director, McNair Program Associate Vice President, Office of Minority Affairs iv From the Dean of the Graduate School It is with real pleasure that I write to introduce this eighth volume of The McNair Scholars Journal. The papers contained in this volume represent a remarkable breadth of scholarship. They also represent a depth of scholarship that encompasses the best of what the University of Washington has to offer. The Scholars, their faculty mentors, the staff of the McNair Program, and all of us at this institution are justifiably proud of this work. The McNair Scholars‘ Program honors the memory and achievement of the late Dr. Ronald E. McNair, a physicist and NASA astronaut. Its goal is to encourage young men and women to emulate the academic and professional accomplishments of Dr. McNair. One of the goals of the McNair Program is to encourage students who have been disadvantaged in their pursuit of academic excellence to attain not only a baccalaureate degree, but to continue a career in graduate education culminating in a doctoral degree. It is because of this goal that The Graduate School is proud to be a partner in this program. The outstanding undergraduate students who are selected to be McNair Scholars are actively recruited by our own and other graduate schools nationwide. They represent the imagination, talent, and dedication that will enrich the future professorate and provide the leadership needed in a complex and changing world. Thanks to all of our McNair scholars and mentors for helping to create a vital and vibrant intellectual community for all of us here at the UW. Congratulations on this excellent publication. Suzanne T. Ortega Vice Provost and Graduate Dean v From the Associate Dean, The Graduate School, GO-MAP I am very pleased that you have the opportunity to read the work of our McNair Scholars. This work represents the culmination of the efforts of very talented students who represent the breadth and excellence of the academy. Our McNair scholars are from many different disciplines, from the humanities to the social sciences to the natural sciences, but all are alike in their excellence, which you will clearly see in their work. The McNair Program‘s mission, the encouragement of students who have been disadvantaged is critical to the future of higher education in the U.S. As our population becomes increasingly diverse we need more role models on our faculties and in leadership positions, but it is also critically important that we not waste talent. Through these students have been disadvantaged, they are very talented and we need them to succeed. This is the reason that the University of Washington Graduate School‘s Graduate Opportunities and Minority Achievement Program (GO-MAP) is a proud partner with the McNair program. We share a mission finding, encouraging, and supporting these talented students so that they can take their place in the next generation of scholars and intellectual leaders of this society. Finally, it is important that we recognize that one of the important things that the University of Washington and other research universities do best is to train researchers. Our students have the wonderful educational opportunity to study with and learn the craft from some of the leading scholars in the discipline. By taking advantage of this opportunity, McNair Scholars will be among the most competitive for the best spots in graduate training programs as well as for the fellowships and research assistantships that will support their work and study. I hope that you enjoy reading their work and join me in appreciating the quality of these students. Sincerely, Juan C. Guerra, Associate Dean The Graduate School, GO-MAP vi Journal Disclaimer While the McNair Program Staff has made every effort to assure a high degree of accuracy, rigor and quality in the content of this journal, the interpretations and conclusions found within each essay are those of the authors alone and not the McNair Program. Any errors or omission are strictly the responsibility of each author. vii THE MCNAIR SCHOLARS JOURNAL of the University of Washington Volume VIII Spring 2009 Contents The Unequal Distribution Of Opportunity: 1 How Public Policy Has Allowed the Fate of Low-Income Students to Depend On Luck Alula Asfaw Congressional Attention to the Education of 37 Underprivileged Children: A Study of Federal Education Reform 1946-2005 Jayme Ballard Overcoming Barriers to Higher Education: The 53 Experience of Latina/os Graduate Students at the University of Washington Cristal Barragán Fighting for Transnational Justice: