College graduation rates also show steady increases over time for all groups, but with marked variation in 2006. The college graduation rate of Asian and Pacific Islanders (52%) is markedly higher than that of whites (29%) who have a rate that is higher than African Americans (19%) and Latinos (13%). The Hispanic category masks considerable heterogeneity with Cubans having a college graduation rate that is three times higher than Mexicans. Other data reveal that the narrowing of the racial gap in education over time has not led to a commensurate narrowing of the racial gap in income.45 This gap has been especially acute for black males. For example, in contrast to the rising earnings of black men relative to white men between the early 1960s and the mid-1970s, the relative pay of African American men declined over the next two decades. The relative pay of college-educated black men compared with white men fell by 10% between 1979 and 1997.45
