Business Commons^™

Moving Towards A Culturally Diverse Accounting Profession, Mary F. Calegari, E. Jenkins

Mary F. Calegari

This paper discusses the increasing diversity in the accounting profession. Evidence is presented substantiating that over one third of recent accounting graduates are from ethnic minority backgrounds, the majority of whom are Asian/Pacific Islanders. In our university specific data, we find an even higher percentage (71%) of ethnic minorities receiving accounting degrees, with Asian/Pacific Islanders as the majority group. We also show that over one fourth of new accounting graduates hired by accounting firms are ethnic minorities of which fifty percent are Asian/Pacific Islanders. However, a recent survey by the AICPA indicates that only 4% of partners in accounting firms …