Objective – This paper is based on a national survey conducted in late 2013 by the authors, then co-moderators of the Visible Minority Librarians of Canada (ViMLoC) Network of the Canadian Library Association (CLA). It is a first survey of its kind, aiming to capture a snapshot of the demographics of the visible minority librarians working in Canadian institutions. The authors hoped that the data collected from the survey and the analysis presented in this paper would help identify the needs, challenges and barriers of this group of librarians and set future directions for ViMLoC. The authors also hoped that the findings would be useful to library administrators, librarians, and researchers working on multicultural issues, diversity, recruitment and retention, leadership, library management, and other related areas. Methods – An online survey questionnaire was created and the survey invitation was sent to visible minority librarians through relevant library association electronic mail lists and posted on ViMLoC’s electronic mail list and website. The survey consisted of 12 questions: multiple-choice, yes/no questions, and open-ended. The survey asked if the participants were visible minority librarians. If they responded “No,” the survey closed for them. Respondents who did not identify themselves as minority librarians were excluded from completing the survey. Results – Of the 192 individuals that attempted, 120 who identified themselves as visible minority librarians completed the survey. Of these, 36% identified themselves as Chinese, followed by South Asian (20%) and Black (12%). There were 63% who identified themselves as first generation visible minorities and 28% who identified themselves as second generation. A total of 84% completed their library degree in Canada. Equal numbers (38% each) identified themselves as working in public and academic libraries, followed by 15% in special libraries. Although they are spread out all over Canada and beyond, a vast majority of them are in British Columbia (40%) and Ontario (26%). There were 38% who identified themselves as reference/information services librarians, followed by “other” (18%) and “liaison librarian” (17%). A total of 82% responded that they worked full time. The open-ended question at the end of the survey was answered by 42.5% of the respondents, with responses falling within the following broad themes: jobs, mentorship, professional development courses, workplace issues, general barriers, and success stories. Conclusions – There are at least 120 first, second, and other generation minority librarians working in (or for) Canadian institutions across the country and beyond. They work in different kinds of libraries, are spread out all over Canada, and have had their library education in various countries or in Canada. They need a forum to discuss their issues and to have networking opportunities, and a mentorship program to seek advice from other librarians with similar backgrounds who have been in similar situations to themselves when finding jobs or re-pursuing their professional library degrees. Getting support from and working collaboratively with CLA, ViMLoC can be proactive in helping this group of visible minority librarians.

No description available.

Life course and gender theorists emphasize the importance of contextual factors on human development and family life, including social structural positions, assignment of meaning to events, and cultural beliefs and practices. In addition, life course theorists punctuate the relevance of event timing on individual and familial growth and they seek to understand adaptive life patterns. Family scholars and gerontologists espouse the use of life course and gender theories to examine ethnic minorities' familial experiences. The present research examined relationships between immigrant post WWII mothers in mid and late life and adult daughters. Five contextual factors were examined: (1) perceptions of minority group status; (2) beliefs of having power, privilege, and prestige; (3) ethnic community involvement; (4) language and communication practices; and (5) expectations of women's relationships within families. In addition, the researcher considered the timing of mothers' immigration on relationship patterns. Twenty-two mothers and daughters participated in individual semi-structured interviews in which they discussed the associations among the contextual factors and challenging, fulfilling, and neutral relationship pathways. Thematic analysis of the mothers' and daughters' interview data and analysis of the investigator's research journal revealed that dimensions of communication, transitions and turning points, culture, and contact underscore relationship pathway. The findings from the present study contribute to theoretical perspectives, such as life course and gender theory, by illustrating the juxtaposition among factors such as generational position, culture, and gender. The implications of the research include the utility of using gender and life course perspectives jointly, the importance of considering how policies have direct and lingering affects on people's lives, the significance of social geography in ethnic minorities' lives, the need to attend to generational positions within immigrant families, and the usefulness of the research findings for support group settings and for counselors working with immigrant and ethnic minority group members. / Ph. D.

No description available.

Dramatic shift s in U.S. culture surrounding the acceptance of sexual minorities have occurred within the last five years. Yet, sexual minorities experience minority stress associated with a host of negative life outcomes. We focus on two studies (one conducted in 2011/12 and one in 2015) on university campus climate as a source of minority stress. Gauging social climate like a temperature thermometer (0=cool/rejecting-100=warm/accepting), and by attitudes of straight individuals, results of Study 1 showed a moderate campus climate for LGB identity (M = 65) with no variation by self-identification among 1101 straight and 133 sexual minority participants. Attitudes of straight participants predicted minority stress (concealment, anticipated discrimination, perceived public stigma) of sexual minorities. Study 2 was entitled “Campus PRIDE” (Perceptions Related to Identity and Diversity in the Environment). Results from 697 straight and 206 sexual minorities, showed climate varied depending on identity of focus and by self-identification as sexual minority (all t tests p<.05). Findings are discussed in light of methodological differences, backlash to advances in rights, intersections of sexual identity, gender, and race, and the process of getting “buy-in” from university administrators to conduct a university-wide climate survey.

Abstract not available

This paper describes the process of being an entrepreneur who is a minority. The interviews and observations that were captured on camera can now be transformed into a documentary. This project was started to shed light on the struggle of being a an entrepreneur and to get a first-hand account of the high and lows of a business. It was found that everyone had similar reasons for starting the business although they had different products that were produced. In the end, this documentary will help others understand what it means to be a business owner, why entrepreneurship is important, and what impact this can have on a community.

No description available.

A pertinent educational issue in our country today is the minority achievement gap. One specific program that has been developed and implemented over the last several years in an effort to provide strong academic curriculum and to raise student achievement, including minority student achievement, is the College Board's Advanced Placement (AP) Program. The AP Program courses are widely recognized as providing students with academically challenging curriculum, facilitating their acceptance to colleges and supporting their preparation for and performance in post-secondary education. The emphasis of this research relates to the specific concern that although the AP Program has been in existence for several decades and is an integral part of most high schools' curriculum for at least ten years, there is an under-representation of minority students in high school Advanced Placement (AP) Program courses. This qualitative research involved completing an in-depth case study of a designated secondary school in the Mid-Atlantic region that has been successful in recruiting and enrolling students, majority and minority, in the AP Program. Guiding questions for this case study related to identifying the individuals who influenced enrollment, as well as the policies, procedures, interventions, and strategies used to recruit students and increase their enrollment in AP courses. These research findings revealed various key factors that contributed to the success of increasing student enrollment in these academic courses and the factors are similar to those identified in the literature and other research studies. These factors include: (a) shared and distributed leadership demonstrated across the school; (b) collaborative vision and mission; (c) an AP Program with high expectations and a relevant and rigorous curriculum; (d) strong academic advisement, data-driven decision making, and specific school policies and procedures related to the AP Program; (e) extended student learning opportunities and individualized support; and (f) varied professional development and training for faculty. This case study highlights a group of dedicated and committed leaders with collaborative vision who implemented an academic program with focused initiatives and interventions. Between 2003 and 2009, this school increased overall student enrollment in the AP Program by 15.2%, with the Black student enrollment increasing by 11.9% and the Hispanic student enrollment increasing by 10.5%. They accomplished their goal and commitment to increasing minority enrollment in the AP Program and providing enriched academic learning opportunities for all students. / Ed. D.

The following is a report concerning quantitative research carried out in the pursuit of a Master's degree. This research details an examination of the hypothesis that the political ideology of militant extremists and the selection of Majority or Minority target influences sentencing severity. The research uses information collected on 510 indictees in "The American Terrorism Study, 1980-2002", which was funded by the United States Department of Justice. Using an OLS regression (Independent Variables: Type of Militant Group, Majority Target, Crime Severity Index, Gender, and Education; Dependent Variables: Outcome of Indictment, Sentence, Time Sentenced, Fine Sentenced, Restitution Sentenced, and Combined Fine/Restitution Amount) it was discovered that there is no tendency for militant extremists targeting Majority facilities or personnel to receive more severe sentences. Additionally, there is an interaction between Leftist group identification and Education level with the amount of the Fines levied. Further research in this area would be advanced by having access to detailed breakdowns into the socio-economic backgrounds of the individuals involved. / Master of Science