The original purpose of the project (of which this book is an outgrowth) was to investigate the processes of value assimilation and behavioral change; the book has come to describe the economic absorption and cultural integration of Mexican Americans and Negroes into a predominantly Anglo society. The host society consisted of Anglos; they more…

A study in a south Texas preschool found that Mexican American children, when given the opportunity to engage in sociodramatic play, displayed various language functions needed for the development of early literacy skills. The preschoolers created elaborate monologues and dialogue in their native language (sometimes in their second language),…

A study with emphasis upon cultural and social factors focused on urban Spanish-speaking children and their families in south El Paso, Texas. Specific objectives sought to identify: cultural and social characteristics of the student sample with respect to language patterns, basic attitudes towards school and mathematics, self-concept of ability,…

Analyzes factors influencing mathematics attitudes among 543 south Texas Mexican-American university students, tested for factors connoting fear and enjoyment. Survey results show ability, quality of preparation, college credits, and perceived importance of mathematics to be major determinants of math attitudes. No evidence linking ethnic or…

Utilizing Talcott Parsons' data from a 1967 study of 4 South Texas counties, the present study involves 596 Mexican American high school sophomores and is based on Parsons' assertion that Spanish American subculture is characterized by the particularism-ascription value pattern. In keeping with this, the present study hypothesized that degree of…

A study examined how rural youth perceive leadership and how sense of place affects those perceptions. Interviews and observations of 12 students who participated in a leadership academy in 3 rural Texas high schools indicated that rural adolescents viewed leadership as situational. Teamwork and service were the elements of leadership that…

The past 22 years of research on the underutilization of mental health services by Mexican Americans are critically analyzed from conceptual and technical perspectives. While basic assertions of previous investigators that underutilization exists are correct, research concepts and methods used have been inadequate in relation to the issue's…

The monograph outlines key issues in the area of patients' rights and advocacy as they relate to Hispanic mental health clients or patients. Providing background material on patients' rights and advocacy in general, the first section includes a chronological history of major litigation, a discussion of patient advocacy, a discussion of a client's…

Every year, more colleges and universities become Hispanic-serving institutions. These institutions, whether public or private, two-year or four-year, find themselves in the position of serving high numbers of Latino students. They encounter opportunities for unique learning environments, access to special funding, and the potential to be…

In this examination of Mexican-American bilingual college writers, it is argued that implicit language ideologies, common misconceptions about bidialectalism/bilingualism, and the classroom attitudinal domain subvert the success of ethnolinguistic minority students. The author designed and conducted a randomized language attitude survey (N = 195)…

The purpose of the study was to gain empirical knowledge about the relationships between personality traits, level of acculturation, and achievement among Mexican American children as a base to determine appropriate strategies to improve school adjustment. Ninety Mexican American 8th-graders in San Antonio were assessed. Among the measurement…

Cultural factors in child rearing and child care center practices which may influence training for child care personnel in Texas were surveyed to: (1) identify Anglo, Black, and Chicano child rearing practices, (2) identify child care center practices, (3) compare regional practices in relation to culture, and (4) identify the relation of cultural…

This report focuses on Hispanic American culture in the schools of the lower Rio Bravo Valley (Texas) through impressions and descriptions of the interrelationship of school and community. School culture is defined as reflecting the shared characteristics and uniqueness of the community cultures around the school. The school cultures of the Valley…

Argues that the primary reason for Mexican American students' low academic achievement was the agrarian belief system, shared by both Mexicans and Whites, that valued children's labor in the fields more than in the school house. (SM)

The mental health intervention process, which entails the 12 essential services to be offered by community mental health centers, is studied as an interactive process involving: (1) the cultural foundations within which mental health and illness are defined; (2) the range of cultural variability of Mexican American service recipients and their…