The Baccalaureate Origins of Chicana and Chicano Doctorates in the Social Sciences

Abstract

The research represents a national examination of the doctorate production and baccalaureate origins of Chicanas and Chicanos in the social sciences. As the first study of this population, there were two objectives. Thefirst was to provide baseline information in the form of a national overview of Chicanalo doctorate production from U.S. universities generally and in the social sciences specifically. Indeed, the research found that Chicanas/os are the most underrepresented population in doctorate production overall and in the social sciences in particular The second objective was to examine the baccalaureate origins of Chicanalo doctorates generally and in the social sciences specifically. The research found that certain small (mostly private) institutions, with significant percentages of Latino students, whose primary institutional mission is teaching and that are located in thefive southwestern states of California, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado appear to be the major producers of Chicanalo students who continue on to the social science doctorate. The study found some gender differences in doctorate production and baccalaureate origins.