Diversity in American Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Diversity in American Society - Essay Example This racial group originated from North, South America, and Central America, and maintained tribal affiliation or community attachment. About 0.8 million American Indians and Alaska Natives live on reservations or other trust lands. 57 percent of American Indian and Alaska Natives live in metropolitan areas, a lowest metropolitan percentage of any racial group. (AI/AN profile)). However, despite the gains of population and self-determination rights the AI/AN remains one of the poorest ethnic group. This is also an important reason for lower educational attainment and high rates of school dropouts. In the present essay, the programs to aid the community in these two important issues have been addressed. In the US census 2000, American Indian and Alaska Native alone or in combination with one or more races made up 1.5 percent of the total population. American Indian and Alaska Native alone represented 0.9 percent of the population. It was 110 percent increase in the total population of AI/AN while 26 percent increase in the population of AI/AN alone from 1990. The highest number of these people was in California followed by Oklahoma. The 19% of the population of Alaska had AI/AN followed by Oklahoma and New Mexico with 11% each. The Median household income for American Indians and Alaska Natives, based on a 1998/2000 average is $31,799 . ... The Population of AI/AN alone has 49.7% males and 50.3% females. In the same population the natives are 94.6% while foreign-borns are only 5.4%. Of the foreign born population 30.6% are naturalized citizen while 69.4% are not a citizen. (US census, 2000) Snipp (2005) reports that the poverty rate for American Indians and Alaska Natives, based on a 1998/2000 average is 25.9%. This rate was not statistically different from the rates for African Americans and Hispanics, but was higher than those for non-Hispanic Whites, Asians and Pacific Islanders. The median age of the total American Indian and Alaska Native population is 28.7 years. For people who report their race as American Indian and Alaska Native only, the median age is 28.0, suggesting that this group is somewhat younger. In contrast, the median age of the U.S. is 38.4 years. About 34 percent of the total American Indian and Alaska Native population is under age 18, compared with only 23 percent of the white population. The relatively young age structure of the AI/AN population reflects in part the population's high fertility rates compared with most other racial and ethnic groups. PART- 2 Important Community Issues 1. EDUCATION 1.1 School Attendance and Educational Attainment American Indians and Alaska Natives have not fared well by this measure. They have historically been one of the least-educated groups in the nation, About 93% of multiracial and 92% of single racial AI/AN children of 15-17 age group are enrolled in school. The 7-8% teens not enrolled in school require attention Snipp (2005). The census 2000 also indicates that in the age group of 18-24, 64.1 % AI/AN alone and 71.3% AI/AN in combination with one or more races