Hispanics may share a language, a religion, and a similar culture, but they are not a homogeneous group. They are from many different countries, with different histories and ethnicities. This booklet describes the situation of Hispanic Americans, the fastest growing minority group in the country. The largest group of Hispanics in the United States…

In the latter half of the nineteenth century five Chicano "bandidos" became prominant in Southwestern history. These "social bandits" were viewed by the dominant Anglo culture as outlaws and criminals; their people saw them as heroes and fighters for justice. Anglos had invaded Northern Mexico, disrupted the existing society,…

From 1914 to 1919 El Cosmopolita--a Spanish language newspaper in Kansas City--served as an organ of ethnic unity and cultural reinforcement for the immigrant Hispanic community, carried news from Mexico, pushed the agenda of the Constitutionalists in the Mexican Revolution, and advertised the Anglo owner's Mexican businesses. (SV)

Traditional definitions of American literature generally include only that literature which grew out of the English enterprise in America; few concessions have been made to other ethnic elements in the literary history of this country. But as British literary roots flourished in new American soil, so did their Hispanic counterparts to yield a…

In an excerpt from his autobiography, a Mexican-American expresses his strong feelings about the unfortunate realities behind affirmative action and bilingual education, based on his own experiences and observation of others'. (MSE)

An historical overview traces the Black Legend about persons of Spanish descent and seeks to demonstrate the influence of the Black Legend on Anglo attitudes towards Mexican Americans. The beginnings of the Black Legend are found in the sixteenth century when European countries in conflict with Spain used Spanish actions during the Sack of Rome,…

A history of the influences and pressures shaping the evolution of bilingual education legislation in Texas (1965-73) illustrates how different and opposed political factions and philosophical views have shaped programs to teach language minority children such as Mexican Americans. (MH)

This paper presents a historical and cultural overview of the migration and life of Hispanics in Utah and identifies three themes: search for a better life, need for and acquisition of a sense of belonging, and substance of the Hispanic people. Over the past 4 centuries, Hispanics have migrated to Utah from New Mexico, Mexico, and Central and…

The life stories of 21 Hispanic women of New Mexico spanning roughly four generations, are recorded in this book. Four sections ("But I Remember,""The Soul of the Home,""Little by Little," and "A Lighted Fire") develop these central themes: the shift from a rural to an urban environment; the struggle to…

The bilingual education movement, begun in the 1960's and virtually mandated by the 1974 Supreme Court Lau vs. Nichols decision, is highly controversial due to public perceptions of bilingual programs; the apparent departure from traditional school language policy; and the concept of bilingual education as a strategy for realizing the social,…

Despite the efforts of Mexican American groups, such as the League of United Latin American Citizens and the G.I. Forum, and court orders to end segregation, schools in Texas continued to segregate Mexican American children. The political liberalism of these groups kept them from developing effective strategies against segregation. (IS)

This manuscript has been prepared after careful study and a visit into the territory concerned. There have been many Spanish speaking foreigners, largely from Mexico, in the United States in recent years. They are sufficiently numerous, however, in our five Southwestern States to constitute a rather serious school problem. Enough of the social and…

In an attempt to formulate a set of testable propositions about the dynamics of Hispanic life that will be valuable pedagogically and as a basis for public policy formation, this study assesses the impact of Hispanic Americans on Wichita, Kansas. Chapter 1 identifies the Hispanic origins of Kansas' 63,339 Hispanics who represent 2.7% of the…

The accomplishments of Theodore "Tug" Andersson (1903-1994) cover four major areas: (1) the teaching of modern languages in general; (2) the foreign languages in the elementary school (FLES) in particular; (3) bilingual education in the United States; and (4) preschool biliteracy. The 11 articles of Andersson's work are as follows: (1)…