Reveals an interesting and overlooked chapter in Hispanic cultural history. The Claremont, California, Padua Hills Theater presented Spanish-language, Mexican-theme musicals to a mostly white audience from 1931 to 1974. Although it presented romantic, and occasionally stereotypical views of Mexican American life, the theater deserves recognition.…

Resources about Arizona for children in kindergarten through eighth grade are listed. Materials include fiction and non-fiction and are mostly English language titles. Books listed have generally been published since 1977, although classic titles distinguished by literary or artistic merit are included, as are bibliographies published before 1977.…

Written to help Hispanics understand the electoral process more thoroughly and to encourage them to participate more actively in the political arena, this manual begins by describing the present status of the Hispanic electorate and then explains how laws are made, how Hispanics can influence legislation, and how to organize a voter registration…

Reviews the origin and growth of Afro-Cuban communities in Ybor City and Tampa, Florida, that began in the late 1880s as the cigar-making industry grew. Calls for more research into the history of black Cubans, Puerto Ricans, and Dominicans. (CFR)

This manual provides a basic understanding of cultural differences that teachers are likely to encounter among exceptional children in their classrooms. The manual aims to create an atmosphere where children respect individual differences in themselves and in others. Several cultures are introduced, including Arabic Lebanese, Hispanic, Native…

Investigates the situations surrounding, and events involved in, the United States's massive western land acquisition from Mexico in 1845 and 1848. Presents a challenging, thorough, and insightful lesson plan that includes numerous background materials, learning activities, maps, and handouts. (MJP)

As Mexican Americans are the largest language-minority population in U.S. public schools, an investigation of literature that authentically reflects Mexican American students' cultural experience is necessary for any teacher. This chapter outlines strategies for integrating Mexican American children's literature into the structure of a classroom…

This book provides some helpful tools that will allow teachers to use children's literature as a vehicle for modifying cultural stereotypes. The sections contain short summaries of 239 carefully selected children's books, each of which features main characters who contribute to an understanding of one's cultural heritage and ways to modify a…

For Mexican American students, grade-level reading and overall academic achievement decline, as measured by standardized tests, as they progress through the educational system. By grade seven, 65% of Mexican American students fail one or more grade levels below expected achievement. To reverse this trend of academic failure, teachers need to use…

Posits a distinction between cultures motivated by individualistic value systems (idiocentric) and collectivistic value systems (allocentric). Study reveals that Mexican American adolescents describe themselves in more allocentric terms, while Anglo American adolescents choose idiocentric terms. Suggests a correlation between idiocentric values…

This handbook was developed to assist vocational educators in meeting the needs of the growing Limited English Speaking (LES) population in the regular classroom. The guide is organized in five sections. The first section of the handbook provides a list of needed teacher competencies for teachers of LES students in regular vocational classrooms,…

How do some families successfully negotiate the linguistic, cultural, and psychological challenges of immigration, while others struggle to acculturate? This volume explores the complexities of immigrant family life in North America and analyzes the individual and contextual factors that influence health and well-being. Synthesizing cutting-edge…

This family life education teaching unit comprises 11 lessons whose primary purpose is to help Latino students, grades 5 through 8, identify cultural pride as a source of self-esteem. Student activities include the following: (1) describe how being part of a cultural group contributes to a sense of uniqueness; (2) identify cultural similarities…

This publication describes a model for faculty development in the area of immigrant Latino students. The Bridging Cultures Project was developed to address: how teacher professional development would affect teachers' understanding of how differing values could lead to conflict between home and school; how teachers could translate such…

This book documents a portion of The Learning Tree program, which develops cultural awareness. It provides activities, written from practical experience, that are designed to give children their first contact with the customs of other cultures. These activities are for teachers to share with preschool-, kindergarten-, and primary-school-age…