This study examined the direct association between parental educational expectations and adolescents' academic self-efficacy, as well as the moderating influence of parental academic socialization messages. Participants were 148 Latino parent--adolescent dyads with the majority of Mexican origin (80.4%). Most of the parent participants were…

Discussions on Latino/a students' interpretation of the opportunity structure and schooling treat racial/ethnic identification among Latino/as as static, despite skin color variation. This article provides findings from interviews with six Mexican students who discussed teachers identifying them as "White-looking" or…

Postsecondary institutions do not typically recognize or utilize students' cultural wealth, yet cultural practices can significantly affect college persistence. In this longitudinal study, seven Mexican American low-income college students attending a large public research institution participated in in-depth interviews to examine the types of…

The Latina/Latino population is the largest minority group in the United States and has the highest high school dropout rate of any ethnic group. Nationally, just over one-half of Latina/Latino students graduate on time with a regular diploma, compared to nearly 80% of Whites. Because of the growing population and the wide achievement gap, there…

This study examined how Mexican American youths' extent of sibling caretaking is related to their personal and school adjustment, and whether mothers' gender-role attitudes and youths' familistic beliefs moderate these associations. One hundred and ninety-five Mexican American youth ("M" age 14.8 years; 64% girls) and their mothers…

Using an ecocultural framework, we investigated relations between parental academic socialization (PAS) and adolescent motivation and achievement. Two-hundred sixteen Mexican-origin, low-income sixth graders reported on their motivational beliefs and behaviors and on their parents' academic socialization. Results indicated that parents engaged in…

Expanding upon Yosso's theory of "community cultural wealth," this interview-based qualitative study finds that Mexican youth in an urban two-year English immersion high school here referred to as Literacy High are assisted academically by what Yosso would call their "aspirational capital" and what the present article theorizes…

The study aimed to gain a better understanding of the learning experiences of adult Latino college students, as described directly in their own voices. The study was guided by two research questions: RQ1: "How do adult Latinos describe their undergraduate college learning experiences?" and RQ2: "How do culture, gender, and ethnic…

Background/Context: For the last 40 years, researchers have posited competing theories regarding the relative influence of social class background and racial-group membership on the school experiences, academic performance, behavior, and motivation of ethnic minority students. The general purpose of these competing theories has been to explain why…

Administered to Mexican American high school students in Texas, this 287-item questionnaire was used to survey their attitudes, program at school, and plans for the future. Almost all of the questions consist of circling a number or checking one or more answers. A few require written answers. Topics covered by the questions are: the student's…

Explores whether measurable differences exist between college-bound Mexican-American students based on sex and city of residence. In a sample of 213 students, females reported more concerns about personal adjustment, health, and interpersonal relationships. No differences were found between small-city students and large-city students. (JAC)

Investigated Mexican American high school students' perceptions of multiculturalism, noting whether perceptions affected academic achievement, intention to graduate, and postsecondary educational aspirations. Surveyed, interviewed, and observed students and staff at schools with low and high Hispanic dropout rates. Students who considered their…

The study explored the problems and preferences Chicano high school juniors and seniors perceived with regard to attending college. Of the 458 respondents, 430 were high school juniors and seniors, 11 were graduates who did not enroll in college during the 1976 fall, and 14 were college freshmen. Data were collected using three questionnaires:…

This project was designed to study the relationship between ethnic-racial factors and patterns of achievement motivation in males raised in low-income families. Anglo-Americans, Mexican-Americans, and Negro Americans have been depicted as possessing achievement-orientation styles that are characteristially different from one another. The subjects…

Almost 400 college seniors (202 Anglos, 158 Chicanos, 39 Blacks) attending a large Southwestern public university completed a survey instrument to elicit what educational goals they perceived as important, whether the university had helped them realize those goals, and whether there were ethnic differences in perceived importance and realization…