This work examined social workers at the Riverside County Child Protective Services and their need for cross-cultural training specifically when working with ethnic minority families.

This study, conceptually replicating the study by Funder and Harris (1986), examined the difference between African Americans and white Americans on measures of social acuity. Social acuity, as defined in this context, is the ability and inclination to perceive the psychological state of others and guide one's behavior in accordance with that perception.

The purpose of this study was to provide a space in which white, middle-class men could consider and discuss their identity and its relationship to privilege. Transcripts from focus group number three is included in the thesis' appendix.

The specific purpose of this study was to explore the correlation between social support, socioeconomic status and psychological well-being among Hispanic adolescent females. In examining these specific variables, the researchers obtained a clearer picture as to the predictors that influence Hispanic adolescent female's psychological well-being.

Over the decades, research on heritage language learners has been quite popular, but most studies concern Russian, Spanish and other languages rather than Chinese. The Chinese heritage language learner’s studies focus mainly on K-12 students and their learning motivations, writing characteristics, and identification recognition and those concerned with language acquisition address their vocabulary and verbal Chinese development. There have been very few studies about learning grammar. This study emphasizes on the acquisition of the aspect marker LE among advanced learners. To investigate the acquisition characteristics of advanced CHL learners, this study adopted the advanced CHL learners as the research group and the advanced CFL learners and native speakers as the control groups. A questionnaire survey was designed to investigate the participants' acquisition abilities. The survey utilized "similar semantics, different contexts, and English similarities" related to the aspect marker LE as the interference factors to investigate comprehension abilities and presented five different situations of using LE to investigate production abilities. There were 198 participants in the survey, and 183 effective questionnaires were collected. Analysis of the data showed the following results: all three groups of subjects are equally affected by "similar semantics" and "different contexts" in comprehending the meaning of LE. But CHL and CFL learners are more affected by English interference than NS. In the production survey, CHL learners did better than CFL, but not as well as NS. In terms of comprehension on the aspect marker LE, CHL learners did better than CFL, but not as well as NS. The understanding and production abilities of CHL learners in the United States are better than those of CHL learners in China, and the influence of English on both CHL groups is quite similar. The most important findings of this research are as follows: (1) Even when CHL learners reach the advanced level, they behave nearly native-like at language level, but cannot reach to the level of a native speaker. (2) Advanced CHL learners share similarities with CFL learners in production abilities. (3) The target Chinese language environment has no obvious influence on advanced CHL learners. The results of this study have the following teaching implications: 1) Students are more likely to acquire LE in context; 2) Students are more likely to understand LE after they have clearly understood the semantic meaning of LE; 3) It would benefit advanced Chinese learners in acquiring LE if their study program could tailor classes for them; 4) If the teachers are explicit in explaining the meaning of LE, students will be more likely to understand the semantic meaning of LE and utilized it correctly.

Women still rarely choose to seek employment in advanced manufacturing. Lack of familiarity with manufacturing jobs and education programs, lack of role models, and too few experiential opportunities contribute to women not choosing manufacturing jobs as well as other jobs traditionally held by men (Reha, Lufkin, & Harrison, 2009; St. Rose & Hill, 2013; Starobin & Laanan, 2008). Nontraditional jobs for women often provide higher wages and more opportunity for advancement than traditional jobs for women. This study is a qualitative thematic narrative analysis of factors that influenced women who chose an advanced manufacturing program at a community college to enter employment in a male-dominated career sector. Intersectionality and agency were the overarching concepts used to examine how working-class women navigated the unfamiliar spaces of higher education and manufacturing. Data were collected through interviews that spanned across several years as the women in the study advanced through the community college and into the manufacturing workplace. The primary research questions included: 1) What motivated the women to begin the program and what were their doubts? 2) How did the women’s experiences in the community college and participation in an advanced manufacturing program influence their education and career choices? And, 3) What might be learned through their stories, particularly their perspectives related to identity and agency? Women reported their top reason for initially pursuing education and employment in manufacturing was the potential income and employee benefits; however, as the women progressed, they reported additional benefits that included increased confidence at work and at home. The women cited earning a college credential as the most transformative aspect of their journey and attributed unexpected personal growth and self-discovery to their college experience. Additional findings pertained to the value of the college support program, the challenges of exercising agency in a patriarchal environment, and the advantages of women’s ways of working for both the employee and the employer. The results of this study have financial implications for women, programmatic implications for colleges, workforce development implications for communities, and employee recruitment and retention implications for manufacturers.

There are many African American women in leadership positions such as Assistant Superintendents, Network Superintendents, Directors, Principals, Assistant Principals, and Coaches. There is a disconnect for African American women in leadership and the highest position of authority in a school district. This leads to the question, what are the barriers, if any, that are limiting the amount of African American Women in the far western states to transition into Superintendent positions? In the reverse, what supports did the women who are superintendents have in their leadership ascension? Finally, what structures need to be developed and formalized in order to facilitate the transition of African American Women into Superintendent positions? This research engages with six the current African American Women superintendents to obtain their stories and develop structures that school districts that are interested can use to develop supports that will directly support African American Women who are interested in obtaining the Superintendent positions in far western states schoolsThe purpose of this study is to identify systemic barriers to the superintendency for African American women and identify strategies to disrupt these systems. The findings of this study may be used to increase the number of female African-American superintendents in the region. The following research questions were used to guide this study: 1. What systemic barriers hinder African American women from becoming superintendents in public school districts? 2. What strategies do African American women superintendents use to overcome these barriers? 3. In what ways, if any, do African American women superintendents perceive the influence of race and gender on their path to the superintendency? 4. What systemic reforms are needed to increase the diversity of superintendents in the western United States? This study is significant because it explains how African American Women in the far western states have experienced the journey into the superintendency, both good and bad. This research can serve as support for other African American Women who are interested in the journey/position. School districts that are looking to dismantle and recreate systems that are supportive of African American Women and their desire to become superintendents can use this research to create said programs. More important, it will add the voices of underrepresented participants to the body of scholarship. This study is a basic qualitative study student with underpinnings of Patricia Hill Collings Black Feminist Thought, which explains that Black women are the most adequate source to explain their journey and offer solutions to the representation shortage. The research data was collected through two one on one (virtual) interviews.

The issue of undocumented immigration has recently taken center-stage in the media and national politics in the United States. A large population of undocumented youth grows up with legal access to public education through high school, following the Supreme Court decision of Plyler vs. Doe, but faces legal and economic barriers to post-secondary education. Following high school, undocumented Hispanic/Latino youth legal protections end, greatly limiting chances for upward mobility through traditional post-secondary education pipelines. In some cases, knowledge of future barriers to post-secondary education leads to a decline in educational motivation. The current political atmosphere makes this study a bit of a moving target as the Obama administration recently passed a reprieve. This reprieve, known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Process (DACA) does not confer any legal status or open any future path to citizenship. It does, however, grant eligible applicants a work permit, and the opportunity to travel, work, and attend school with a sense of security. The purpose of this thesis is to better understand the perceptions and understandings of undocumented Hispanic/Latino youth and their pursuits of higher education in. It is primarily concerned with the educational issues and opportunities facing these students. This research explores the impact of Hispanic/Latino students' perceptions of legal status barriers on their educational attainment experiences. The different opportunities and obstacles present in access to post-secondary education for undocumented Hispanic/Latino students residing in the United States are examined. This study focuses on the time period just after high school graduation, a critical stage in these students' lives, when undocumented status is particularly consequential. Knowledge about students' perception of their educational progress sheds light on their educational attainment experiences; it illuminates important factors associated with their individual educational experiences. Interactions with teachers, school authorities, their parents, siblings, peers, and other authority figures could be described in connecting personal interpretations and emotional responses to specific events in their lives that they feel helped or hindered their educational progress. Knowing how undocumented Hispanic/Latino youth identify and understand the factors that facilitate or impede their navigation of post-secondary education, will further inform educators and researchers alike. This study offers the possibility of identifying additional factors for educators, researchers, and our communities that hinder or facilitate the educational navigation and success of undocumented students. This type of research is significant as this marginalized population lives and works within the American society; the successes and struggles of these students impacts the United States as a whole. Moreover, these students possess amazing potential; we need to better understand and serve this population in order to both improve their life experiences, and to benefit from their input and abilities.

American Political Thought has presented somewhat of a challenge to many because of the conflict between the ideals found within the "American Creed" and the reality of America's treatment of ethnic and social minorities. The various forms of marginalization and oppression facing women, blacks, Native Americans, and Asian-Americans have been as much a part of the story of America as have been natural rights and the Constitution. Taking this into account, this thesis is an effort to argue that the radicalism on display in the Black Panther Party, a group that emerged in the turmoil of the 1960' s, was a direct descendant of the ideas found within the Black Power movement. It will be argued that these militant critiques of American society were radical, but were not so radical as to be viewed as outside of the context provided by the ideals found in the American Creed. In order to do so, it will be necessary first to present and analyze the various approaches toward explaining the content and nature of the American Creed. The Creed will be presented as separate from American political reality, as an ideal type. As a result it appears to be a rather amorphous tool which can be used both by supporters of a more robust realization of the Creed's ideals and those who wish to limit the scope of these ideals. Having discussed these approaches toward the American Creed, a discussion of radical political ideas will serve to introduce the Black Power movement and the later Black Panther Party. It will be argued that the radical ideas on display were born out of a frustration with American society, but were at the same time an endorsement of the American Creed. It will be concluded that the American Creed is a powerful force acting upon American political thought, so powerful that even those who should rationally reject the Creed forcefully embrace it.

This study examined psychological, social, and cultural factors that can affect suicide risk among Mong/Hmong youth between the ages of 18 and 25. Emerging evidence suggests that Mong/Hmong youth are at an increased risk for suicide (Huang, Lee, & Arganza, 2004; Jesilow & Xiong, 2007). Additionally, initial findings and theories have suggested potential associations between Mong/Hmong youth suicide risk and intergenerational family conflict, ethnic identity, acculturation, depression, and spirituality. The seriousness of suicide risk among Mong/Hmong youth in this country has been overlooked for decades; therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine these associations with the hope that the findings would be beneficial in future efforts to reduce suicide risk among Mong/Hmong youth. This research was a cross-sectional exploratory study that used a purposive sampling method in addition to snowball sampling. The sample consisted of 165 Mong/Hmong youth between the ages of 18 and 25 from three California academic institutions. Results indicated that of 165 respondents, 59% (n=98) have had passing thoughts of suicide. There was a correlation between ethnic identity, intergenerational family conflict, depression, and spiritual beliefs. Furthermore, ethnic identity and intergenerational family conflict were significant predictors of depression. Lastly, depression and having a belief in Mong/Hmong traditional spiritual and healing practices were predictors of suicide risk among the sampled population. Two open-ended protective factor questions were explored to encourage participants to reflect on their resilience to suicide by sharing how they responded to thoughts of ending their life and what helped them to overcome those thoughts. Five themes were identified as protective factors: (1) having the cognitive ability to understand how death affects loved ones; (2) optimism and having a positive orientation toward the future; (3) connectedness with family, friends, and community; (4) having a sense of self-worth; and (5) a social life. Implications for social work practice and policy include the development, expansion and delivery of culturally appropriate mental health treatment services for young adults. This entails the incorporation of traditional Mong/Hmong mental health healing practices into western mental health treatment, ongoing clinical research to better understand the mental health needs of the Mong/Hmong young adult population, and educating and empowering the Mong/Hmong community to access the mental health system, thereby reducing the stigma associated with mental health and increasing access to treatment.