More Latinos obtain doctorates

Latinos are becoming better represented in every filed, from sports and entertainment to politics and the arts. Hispanics with a college degree increased to 13 percent in 2010 from 10 percent in 2000, according to Pew center.

And now a recent study by the University of California, Berkeley shows that the number of Latinos holding a doctorate degree rose 161 percent from 1990 to 2010, outpacing the non-Hispanic rate by almost double.

While white students seeking Ph.D.s at Berkeley outnumber Hispanics almost 7 to 1, their numbers are going in opposite directions. There were 385 Latino students pursuing doctoral degrees in the fall of 2011, a 46 percent increase in 20 years, according to Berkeley data. White doctoral students fell 25 percent to 2,529 in the same period.

Second-generation Hispanic-Americans are more likely than their immigrant parents to have college degrees, higher-paying jobs, and be homeowners, according to a 2010 report by the Center for American Progress.

Latino students credit teachers and counselors with steering them toward higher education by helping them find fellowships and scholarships.

Source: Fox News Latino, Latinos with Doctorates on the Rise, July 25, 2012, and Bloomberg, Hispanic Ph.D.s Jump as Fastest-Growing Minority Gains, July 23, 2012.

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