Despite the deleterious mental health and health consequences experiences of perceived discrimination can have on ethnic and racial minorities in the United States, a dearth of qualitative studies exist to develop a better understanding of such experiences. As part of a larger study examining psychosocial stress events, and in an effort to fill…

Observational measures of mother-child interaction, home environment, demographic variables, and maternal attitudes were used in developing two causal models for classroom and achievement test performance for 86 Mexican American children. Mothers most strongly promoted academic competence by serving as appropriate role models and encouraging an…

Utilizing both quantitative and qualitative approaches, the study assessed the strengths of selected components of the Mexican American ethnic medical system within the local community of Casper, Wyoming. Findings indicated that few local Hispanics adhered to much of the system, except in the realm of some easily available home remedies.…

Incorporating observational procedures into an IQ testing situation, the study included behavioral indices as outcome measures of an educational intervention program. Program and control groups involved 40 low-income Mexican American children, ages 4-5. Given the testing situation, program children exhibited significantly more work and verbal…

The development and present status of "Chicano Calo," a mixture of Spanish and English spoken in Mexico and the Southwestern United States, is surveyed. Originally a Romany (Gypsy) language, it is preeminently oral and has become fashionable in most sociocultural strata, but particularly among younger males to reflect mild rebellion. (JMM)

The theoretical and pedagogical issues emanating from the practice of teaching Spanish to Hispanic bilingual college students are discussed. Distinctions are made between standard Spanish and the two most important United States varieties of Chicano and Puerto Rican Spanish, and structural differences are examined. Teaching suggestions are…

Synthesizes available literature that addresses: (1) utilization patterns of alcohol-related services by Mexican Americans; (2) existing therapeutic approaches which take into account cultural factors; and (3) existing approaches to alcohol abuse education and prevention for this population. Discusses research needs and the need for…

Questionnaires and personality scales were used to study the effect of generational status on stress and personality measures among 247 immigrants. The late immigrant group--immigration after age 14--experienced highest stress, lowest self-esteem, and most external locus of control. A wide discrepancy existed between late and early immigrants on…

By reducing culture conflict and acculturative stress, the Bicultural Effectiveness Training (BET) enhances adjustment in Cuban American families and reduces conduct disorders in adolescents. BET teaches family members that skills for effective functioning in different value contexts (cultural or otherwise) can be viewed as complementary and…

A study of attitudes toward bilingualism among a national sample of persons of Mexican descent indicated that politically framed ethnic identity fosters positive views of bilingualism. Traditional self-conceptions as Mexican and Spanish-speaking directly encourage support of bilingualism but at the same time engage conservative political attitudes…

The "Inventario de Comportamiento Escolar" is a teacher rating inventory for the assessment of Puerto Rican children, particularly those with a behavior pattern indicative of attention deficit disorder, learning disabilities, or academic underachievement. (JHZ)

A 26-item acculturation measure administered to a sample of 1,245 adult Mexican Americans demonstrated high internal reliability for the total sample and for specific sex, educational, and language groups. Among first generation Mexican Americans, those who were younger and male acculturated more rapidly than those who were older and female. (JHZ)

Correspondence between degree of acculturation and values was studied in first-generation Mexican Americans--42 identified as highly acculturated and 42 as low acculturated. Results showed variability across groups for specific values, but a greater correspondence of values between high acculturation and comparison groups than between low…

Acculturative stress and coping strategies were assessed in 214 multicultural college undergraduates who were divided into four generational status groups. Effects of self-esteem, locus of control, and loyalty to American culture were also studied. Students immigrating after age 12 experienced more stress than early immigrants and second- and…

Compares efficacy of Bicultural Effectiveness Training (BET) and Structural Family Therapy (SFT) used with Cuban-American families in which adolescents manifested symptoms of conduct disorders and/or social maladjustment. Finds significant improvement as measured by family structure, acculturation/biculturalism levels, and adolescent behavior…