This theoretical article based on published literature provides an overview of Mexican American culture and selected Mexican American children's literature that accurately portrays that culture. More specifically, the article focuses on three related topics. First, the article discusses the availability of multicultural literature, evaluation of…

This paper presents findings of a study that explored Mexican-American female principals' perceptions of leadership, power, and caring. Interviews were conducted with six principals of public schools in the Rio Grande Valley region of Texas. The principals described the personal and social challenges of being Mexican-American and female, and those…

Bilingual (English and Spanish) text and illustrations describe the author-artist's experiences growing up in a traditional Hispanic community in south Texas, near the border with Mexico. The brightly colored paintings of her family and community show, in great detail, the everyday activities that remain vivid in her memory: picking oranges for…

This document, part of the lesson plan series, "Teaching with Historic Places," examines Spanish influences on the history of California through an exploration of one building, Rancho Los Alamitos. Located in the midst of what is now metropolitan Los Angeles, Rancho Los Alamitos began as a simple adobe house on a hill overlooking…

This bibliography contains 89 citations for books intended to provide children with an understanding of and an appreciation for the people, customs, history, geography, art, and folklore of Latin America, Spain, and those of Hispanic heritage in the United States. Users of the bibliography are urged to use guidelines of the National Council on…

Traditional Mexican American herbal potions and remedies and their history are explained in an introductory book for the general reader. The importance of curanderismo, or green medicine, in Mexican and Mexican American cultures is explored. A brief history traces the herbal aspects of curanderismo through Mayan and Aztec cultures, the Spanish…

This book is an oral history of ten Chicana women ranging in ages from 84 to 24. The collection of interviews reflects how their hard work and determination have significantly changed their lives for the better. The backgrounds of the women vary; some were born in Mexico and moved to the United States. Others were born in the Southwest and later…

This overview of information and referral services for Spanish speaking people surveys the problems and successes of bicultural-bilingual programs as they have evolved in the past decade, emphasizing the need for innovative and nontraditional approaches to these services for minority ethnic groups. Brief descriptions of information and referral…

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…

The first of two articles presents a review of children's plays written in Spanish, including the authors' approaches and underlying themes. The second, an annotated bibliography of children's folklore and health books for adolescents in Spanish, includes a directory of eight U.S. dealers in Spanish books. (CLB)

Describes a culturally sensitive and relevant therapeutic framework for nonminority and minority counselors working with clients of Mexican-American heritage. Uses Lazarus's multimodal approach as the basis. Examines the current status of Mexican-American mental health service delivery and use. (Author/ABB)

Urban adaptation among Mexican Americans resulting in the rise of youth street gangs is assessed in this article within a framework that examines the adaptation's ecological, economic, cultural, and psychological aspects. It is argued that difficulties in changing to Anglo-American patterns have been exacerbated by living and working conditions…

Outlines the predominant characteristics of the Hispanic community, citing population, economic, and sociological statistics. Urges adapting teaching styles to meet Hispanics' needs and provide continuity of learning for Hispanics in Catholic schools and parish religious educational centers. Discusses cultural variables and their implications for…

Defining "little" cultural traditions as those customs, behaviors and attitudes of ordinary people involved in the day-to-day problems of living and survival, this article traces the origins, historic influences and general characteristics of Hispanic culture and of its Mexican, Puerto Rican and Cuban subcultures. (DS)

Presents (with biographical sketches) works written by Spanish authors in the United States on: Pure Art; Tradition, Humor, and Folklore; Justice and Reason; Coping with America; Hispanic Estrangement; The Hispanic; Schooling for Hispanics; and Death, Transmogrification, and Other Mysteries. Available from Bilingual Press, Dept. of Foreign…