A common assumption among many social scientists is that identification with Mexican-American culture inhibits the development of a positive self-concept and upward mobility among members of this group. Consequently, many sectors of society have argued that complete acculturation is the most desirable goal for the Mexican-American population. The results of three studies indicate that acculturation without assimilation may be a more advantageous outcome for Mexican-Americans. In the first study, college-bound Mexican-American females identified more strongly with their traditional culture, spoke greater amounts of Spanish at home, and were more androgynous than their noncollege-bound Mexican-American counter-parts. A second study found Mexican-American high school students to be slightly more internally controlled than Anglo-American students after socioeconomic factors were controlled. First- and second-generation Mexican-American students held a more positive image of Mexican descent persons than third generation students in the third study. The combined results of the studies tend to support the paradoxical hypothesis that stronger identification with traditional Mexican-American culture promotes a greater integration into mainstream Anglo-American society. (Author)