The primary purpose of this book is to present a synthetic account of the sociocultural system of the Spanish Americans in New Mexico. Historical as well as contemporary materials have been used to describe previously existing structures and to illustrate the processes of change. The background study consisted primarily of a systematic review of…

Acculturation and biculturalism of four populations (first-, second-, and third-generation Mexican American school children, and a comparison group of Anglo American children) were measured by teacher ratings of classroom behavior, using the Bicultural Identity/Respect for Cultural Differences Scale, developed expressly for use in…

The main problems confronting teachers of Mexican American children are the language and cultural barriers. Mexican American children are often limited in communication skills in both Spanish and English and hold different values and life styles than the Anglo American teacher. The "live now" attitude, which is characteristic of Latin cultures,…

A study of Spanish American and Anglo American culture value concepts sought to determine (through the use of a teacher awareness scale) the degree to which teachers were aware of cultural differences, and (through a student acculturation questionnaire) to determine the extent of acceptance by Spanish American students of Anglo American values.…

Measures of self-concept and level of acculturation obtained from 44 male and 48 female Anglo American and 103 male and 116 female Mexican-American students from one rural and one urban school district showed no overall ethnic differences for: behavior, happiness-satisfaction, intellectual/school status, physical appearance, anxiety, popularity.…

The thesis that Mexican Americans share a monolithic, "pathological" subculture that causes difficulties Mexican American children may have in adapting to Anglo society is challenged, using data from studies of Mexican American families and youth. Origin of the theory that all Mexican Americans share a negative subculture is detailed,…

Focusing on the ethnic identity and achievement motivation of adolescents, this book reports on a study of Mexican-origin and Anglo American adolescents and sets it in sociopolitical, theoretical, ethnohistorical, and demographic contexts. The opening chapters examine public malaise over immigration and ethnic diversification in the United States…

Public policy has recognized the need to develop selective programs that zero in on the needs of specific racial subgroups (especially those Chicanos, Cubans, and Puerto Ricans of mixed racial backgrounds). However, entering the 1970's, the strategy of approaching social problems in terms of their impact upon subgroups has been politically…

APPROXIMATELY FIVE MILLION PERSONS OF MEXICAN ANCESTRY RESIDE IN THE STATES OF CALIFORNIA, ARIZONA, NEW MEXICO, TEXAS, AND COLORADO. A LARGE NUMBER HAVE ALSO MADE HOMES IN THE GREATER CHICAGO AREA AND IN OTHER INDUSTRIAL CENTERS. MEXICAN AMERICANS HAVE PLAYED A VITAL ROLE IN THE INDUSTRIAL, AGRICULTURAL, ARTISTIC, INTELLECTUAL, AND POLITICAL LIFE…

The literature emphasizes that achievement motivation depends on a generalized desire to accomplish a given task; it does not deal with the issue of whether or not a culture values the appropriate behavior. This study investigated possible cultural and sex differences in achievement motivation from a bicultural perspective. This research: (1)…