Contemporary Mexican Americans have a multi-faceted character. Twentieth century Mexican Americans are no longer Mexicans but neither are they Anglo American. The strength of their Mexican traditions and cultural values and the forces of dilution to which these are exposed depend on various combined factors. Contributing to their multi-faceted character are their Mexican inheritance and the continuing cultural replenishment resulting from new immigrants and their importation of ideas, attitudes, ways of doing things, artifacts, and systems. The Mexican inheritance involves several components. Among these are racial features and the word labels which have survived for them; reliance upon the Spanish language in a monolingual, bilingual, or mixed fashion; the domestic environment (material and non-material); and the relations outside the home. Chicanos exhibit a greater socioeconomic diversity than did their ancestors because many have entered the lower end of the middle class and, in doing so, they have undergone varying stages of acculturation into Anglo America. The manner in which this has occurred differs widely. The degree of American-ness present in Mexican Americans is related to one's generation, geographical location of residence, socioeconomic position in American society, and degree of individuality. (NQA)