Project staff and experienced child welfare personnel adapted the Culture Simulator to train child welfare caseworkers to have an empathic understanding of minority children and families in order to encourage and support ethnic identity, integrity, and community life. The training technique used 4 self-instructional modules containing 40 critical…

Community involvement, administrator and teacher education, student self esteem, and cultural awareness are four priorities for Mexican American education at all levels--from early childhood programs through higher education opportunities. The community involvement necessary for effective education requires sincere two-way communication; the…

Investigates the situations surrounding, and events involved in, the United States's massive western land acquisition from Mexico in 1845 and 1848. Presents a challenging, thorough, and insightful lesson plan that includes numerous background materials, learning activities, maps, and handouts. (MJP)

This book explores race relations between Mexican Americans and Anglo Americans in "Middlewest," a fictitious name for an actual rural Idaho community with the highest proportion of Mexican Americans in the state. Many Mexican Americans in this predominantly agricultural area are current or former migrant workers. The first chapter…

As Mexican Americans are the largest language-minority population in U.S. public schools, an investigation of literature that authentically reflects Mexican American students' cultural experience is necessary for any teacher. This chapter outlines strategies for integrating Mexican American children's literature into the structure of a classroom…

Although Mexican Americans are the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States, their history and literature are seldom taught in American classrooms. A study of over 3,000 high school sophomores in the Southwest revealed that neither Anglos nor Hispanics were aware of the contributions of Mexican Americans. Incorporating Mexican American…

This book provides some helpful tools that will allow teachers to use children's literature as a vehicle for modifying cultural stereotypes. The sections contain short summaries of 239 carefully selected children's books, each of which features main characters who contribute to an understanding of one's cultural heritage and ways to modify a…

This guide provides answers to teachers' questions about Hispanic students. Its purpose is to provide a conceptual foundation for educators, and to sensitize and inform teachers of the plight of Hispanic students by making them aware of the students' historical, cultural, economic, language, and educational backgrounds. The following sections are…

For Mexican American students, grade-level reading and overall academic achievement decline, as measured by standardized tests, as they progress through the educational system. By grade seven, 65% of Mexican American students fail one or more grade levels below expected achievement. To reverse this trend of academic failure, teachers need to use…

A course in comparative Hispanic/American culture was developed for a criminal justice training center to provide exposure to Hispanic cultural norms to local criminal justice workers. The participants included employees in the fields of adult probation, health care, and alcohol and drug programs. Hispanic participants provided a valuable…

Five agencies of the Public Health Service (PHS) joined with PHS Hispanic employees and other Hispanic health specialists to commemorate Hispanic Heritage Week by critically examining health issues of particular relevance to Hispanics. The first day the forum sought to define, from an Hispanic perspective, issues relating to health statistics,…

This report describes a three-year faculty development program that successfully transculturated approximately one-third of the faculty and professional staff at Texas A&I University, a state institution in which over 50 percent of the student body is Mexican American. Transculturation entails a change process that focuses on changing the…

A midwestern university provides cross-cultural student teaching experiences in a southwestern city with a large Mexican-American population. Features include two classroom placements, a course in multicultural education, and bicultural mentors. Data from 39 participants identified successful themes and practices in three categories: enabling…

This practicum was designed to increase the cultural awareness of fourth-grade students of contributions to American society by those of different races and colors. The program consisted of an integrated 12-week curriculum and a variety of materials allowing students to conceptualize the diversity of America. Students were exposed to other…

This book provides a step-by-step guide to genealogical research in the United States and Mexico for Mexican Americans. The book also contains information on the history of Mexico and its relationship with the United States. Chapters include: (1) "Why Do Mexican Americans Explore Family History?"; (2) "Your Mexican American…