Pacific Islander American students: Caught between a rock and a hard place?

As a part of a community action plan for assisting Pacific Islander American high school students and their parents in navigating the educational system and building on previous studies on Pacific Islander youth [Vakalahi, H.F.O. & Godinet, M. (2008). Family and culture and the Samoan youth. Journal of Family Social Work, 11(3), 229-253.], this article discusses the perspective of Pacific Islander American students and their parents regarding family, culture and community, school, and peer/social relations-based risk and protective factors for academic achievements and risk for school dropout. Also explored in this study was their perspective on programmatic means by which to prevent school dropout. Study participants included Pacific Islander American youth and parents in one school located in a western U.S. state. Data were collected via focus groups. Results indicate that family relationships and dynamics, parental expectations, community and cultural duality, commitment to school, and peer relations serve as sources of risk and/or protection for educational achievement and risk for school dropout. Programmatic means such as availability of study hall, tutoring, incentive programs, and access to higher educational information were identified as necessary for school achievement and prevention of school dropout. Theory building, implications for research and policy and practice are also discussed.