Examines cultural factors that may create tension between relationship-oriented and educational goals for Mexican American men and women. A survey of 546 Mexican American college students assessed cultural orientation (ethnic loyalty, ethnic social orientation, and cultural awareness) and marriage and gender role attitudes. Ethnic loyalty most…

This digest addresses factors that may influence college completion and academic success for Hispanic students, particularly Mexican American students, enrolled in community college and four-year institutions. Recent research suggests that institutional practices in high schools have much to do with the low postsecondary participation rates of…

Inclusion of bilingual education in higher education, both as an area of study and as a medium of instruction, will facilitate an increased level of academic achievement for Hispanic students. Hispanics as a group do not exhibit like characteristics in language proficiency in either English or Spanish, or like characteristics in cultural or…

Surveys selected literature pertaining to Chicanos and higher education with emphasis on publications appearing between 1969 and 1979 and on materials dealing with California. Summarizes and synthesizes the information pertaining to the access, presence, status, participation, and attrition of Chicanos in higher education; admission criteria; and…

A survey of 88 Mexican American female college seniors and graduate students found that graduate students were significantly more likely than seniors to have followed a college preparatory curriculum in public high schools where non-Hispanic whites were the majority; to report English as first language; and to have strong support of family,…

This paper examines the status and history of Chicano studies as an academic field of study. The paper describes the development of Chicano studies in terms of philosophical foundations, identifying the Chicano community, curriculum development, and institutional support. The genesis, shaping, and direction of Chicano studies were largely in the…

In light of growing numbers of Mexican immigrants and other Spanish speakers in the United States, public schools must deal with shortages of certified bilingual teachers. This chapter describes efforts to address such shortages by the Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Language Affairs (OBEMLA) and other agencies of the U.S. Department of…

This paper overviews the development and present status of the Chicano Studies Department at Metro State College of Denver (MSCD). At its inception during the 1960s, Chicano Studies were viewed as a means of destroying the racist and imperialist mentality toward Chicanos and promoting Chicano power and freedom. Chicano activists' efforts to end…

This report describes a program implemented by the Tomas Rivera Center (Claremont, California) to increase the number of well-prepared Latino teachers. Based on the concept of learning communities, the program aims to reduce the isolation experienced by minority students, offer support services that help nontraditional students satisfy academic…

Dubbed the "decade of the Hispanic," the 1980s was instead a period of retrenchment for Chicanos and Chicanas as they continued to confront many issues of earlier years in a more conservative political environment. This book assesses the most significant developments in the conditions and experiences of Chicanas and Chicanos since the…

In fall 1997, students in a Social Science Research Methods class developed and administered a survey questionnaire to assess the degree of stress experienced by students at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU). Located in Laredo, TAMIU serves communities along the Texas-Mexico border. The student body includes many older students who…

In 1992, the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) published standards that can be used as guidelines for preparation of bilingual multicultural teachers. A survey of 22 beginning bilingual education teachers, graduates of Texas bilingual teacher education programs, examined their preservice preparation in relation to NABE standards.…

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund's program to increase participation of minority and women junior faculty members in advanced study and research in education resulted in numerous accomplishments by the program's three scholars-in-residence. Dr. David Jess Leon (1979-1980) produced a major publication, "The Struggle for…

Although California's 106 Community Colleges' mission to accept any student who can profit from instruction and to provide transfer programs and vocational, continuing, and community education invites the non-traditional student to benefit from college education, the Community College students' success is not guaranteed because of the low quality…

This collection of fact sheets and mini reviews deals with various problem areas in Mexican American education. "Mexican Americans in Higher Education" identifies the major factors (primarily money and language) which affect low enrollment and high attrition of Mexican Americans in institutions of higher learning, and suggests that…