This article reports on the relationships between ecocultural features of 18 Latina/o families and their children's motivation to read. Five ecocultural features emerged as salient in families' daily living: immigration; culture and language; nurturance; instrumental; and workload. Ecocultural features were examined in relation to children's…

This guide is designed to help professionals working with Hispanic/Latino American parents to be better prepared to select culturally sensitive materials, to program more effectively, and to draw from the richness within the Hispanic/Latino American culture. The guide is one in a series of culturally specific guides produced as part of…

An element seen to be lacking in the development of bilingual programs in California is a sensitivity to the sociolinguistic and psychological influences in Chicano language usage. These include the mixing in of American slang. (MSE)

Realizing that multicultural education's true goal is academic achievement, a Seattle high school teacher began to add native Spanish speakers to the native English speakers in her advanced Spanish studies class and offered opportunities to hone literacy skills. Over the next 3 years, 19 of 26 native Spanish speakers from the class passed Spanish…

One Washington state school district uses mariachi music lessons to engage Hispanic students in school and deter them from dropping out. The district's dropout rate is very low, despite its high Hispanic population. Students in the top-performing mariachi groups say that participating has motivated them academically. Just as mariachi has…

Urges writing teachers to cultivate the students' own expression of diverse or alien ideas, not just accept these diversities. Stresses that educators cannot expect young students of Hispanic or other cultures to initiate an open, creative exploration of themselves without an atmosphere of complete acceptance. (MG)

An overview of contemporary Hispanic dialectology, focusing on phonological phenomena, syntax, classification schemes, and bilingual communities, demonstrates that dialectology has long ceased to be the collection of innumerable surface deviations. It is suggested that dialectology is a theoretical discipline searching for universal principles to…

Examines the ways that each of three cultures (Pueblo, Hispanic, and mainstream American) expresses values and beliefs in the celebrations that engage Pueblo children throughout the year. Discusses the secrecy of Pueblo celebrations and the need for educators to use discretion when determining the legitimacy of Pueblo students' absences and…

Analyzes the impact of employment context and family structure on Mexican American families' health insurance status. Found that, of the groups studied, Mexican Americans are least likely to have either overall coverage or coverage from an employer. An extended family increased the odds of having no one insured in the family. (RJM)

Increasing gang membership among Mexican-American adolescents is rooted in a cultural context and reflects a desperate attempt to gain some control over barrio life marked by low employment, poverty, and discrimination. Discusses the decision-making process involved, and recommends three ways schools can reframe their views towards these students,…

Outlines historical perspectives on Chicano self-definition and identity. Examines emancipation in Chicano literature, and contrasts the ideological positioning of two prominent authors deemed culturally relevant for "Hispanic" students. Offers the authors'"insider" and "outsider" perspectives for negotiating…

Examines eight undergraduate U.S. history survey textbooks in order to determine the coverage of Latino history. Examines four areas for understanding the historical experience of Latinos: (1) racial/ethnic identification; (2)immigration/migration issues; (3) labor/class matters, and (4) cultural concerns. Includes a bibliography of the reviewed…

This book contains memoirs about growing up as the son of Mexican immigrants in rural California, as well as stories that the author's parents told him about their childhoods and village life in Mexico. In a preface and introductory stories, the immigrant explains how his family culture sustained him during bad experiences in school, and describes…

This collection of 14 folk drama scripts is drawn from the Hispanic culture and traditions of the American Southwest and designed for use in educational settings. The plays are short, simple, and easy to produce. A single play can fill a class period, while several plays grouped together would make a school assembly. Six plays, intended for grades…

This preliminary case study examined the philosophical perspectives of mathematics teachers at a high school situated near the Texas/Mexico border along the lower Rio Grande river valley. Ninety-eight percent of the students and 69% of the teachers are Hispanic. The mathematics teachers were administered a questionnaire that gauged their…