Designed to provide classroom teachers, administrators, district personnel, and board members with a brief description of the cultural and educational background of native Spanish speakers, this monograph is divided into seven sections. Section 1 describes the historical and cultural influences on the Chicano way of thinking, believing, acting,…

Residents of the U. S.-Mexico border region have the immense task of reconciling two different and often incompatible cultures, traditions, and languages. The cultural and environmental conditions of the South Texas border region are briefly described, and economic and social conditions are reviewed. The unique counseling needs of borderlanders of…

Examines the phenomenon of code switching (when bilingual speakers use languages interchangeably) in Mexican-American first graders. Cites several reasons for code switching, and discusses implications for reading instruction. (MM)