This paper argues that the identification of individuals with a certain ethnic grouping may have a significant impact on the way they communicate with others. It contends also that the way in which people's style is used and interpreted by others directly influences their effectiveness in communicative interactions. The communicative styles of Mexican Americans are addressed along a continuum of cultural identity: (1) the "American of Mexican Ancestry" to describe individuals who would first identify themselves as plainly Americans; (2) the "Mexican American" to describe those individuals who are conscious of the duality of their existence and who live in conflict; (3) the "Chicano" to describe individuals who see themselves as part of a unique cultural entity separate from either Mexican or American culture; and (4) the "Mexican" to describe the cultural identity of one whose primary referent in day to day life is Mexican culture. In a subsequent section, testable hypotheses are suggested to provide a framework for researching the relationship between cultural identity and communication style. Appended are examples of cultural identity measures, a communicator style construct, and examples of communication style measures. (HOD)