MINORITIES IN GEOGRAPHY: SOME DISTURBING FACTS AND POLICY MEASURES∗

Abstract

This study reveals some disturbing facts about the status of minorities in geography in the United States. The three underrepresented minority groups comprise only about 3% of the total geography population in the sample. This does not reflect well on geography, a discipline whose cultural and regional roots are as diverse as its subjects of study. It is important to increase minority participation in geography in order to diversify the discipline as well as allow minority students to enhance their spatial skills such as an understanding of the earth, cultural patterns, and political issues at the local, national, and global levels. If the discipline continues to neglect the need to provide a quality geographic education to minority students, it will forsake not only one of its major missions of spreading global knowledge to all, but will lose its market share of the growing minority student population. This paper describes the extent of minority underrepresentation in geography and provides a set of general recommendations, including a call for a national conference and formation of a high-level committee to deal with the issue of increased minority participation in geography.

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