As a supporter of informal and alternative learning environments for science learning I am pleased to add to the discussion generated by Adriana Briseno-Garzon's article, "More than science: family learning in a Mexican science museum". I am keenly aware of the value of active family involvement in education in general, and science education in…

It is late at night, after working all day on her postdoctoral research Laura Colombo is trying to wind down while drawing and jotting down thoughts in her notebook. She is in the living room/office of her apartment in Buenos Aires, the city where she was born and left when she was 26 years old to pursue her graduate studies in the United States…

The twin emigration sagas of Ferreira de Castro (1898-1974), "Emigrantes" (1928) and "A Selva" (1930) embody what has been described as the primary driving forces of emigration: hunger and injustice. The main protagonists of "Emigrantes" and "A Selva," Manuel and Alberto, illustrate these forces. Manuel, a…

Contends that Westerners are accustomed to learning about the world through our senses of sight and hearing, and that "lower" senses--smell, taste, and touch--tend to be associated with "savagery" or sensualism. Provides a cross-cultural look at the Colombian Desana people who acquire knowledge through full-bodied experience…

The purpose of this paper is to present a view of Latin American males and females that describes the situation in Latin America more accurately than the current stereotypical view accepted in the United States. The author discusses the roots of the North American misconception, citing differences between Latin American and North American cultures…

Improvisation implies a relative freedom to choose elements within stylistic norms of rules proper to a given culture. Improvisatory processes for music from several cultures are described. These cultures are: Indian, Spanish, African, and Afro-Cuban (rumba). A few resources focusing on improvisation in Latin American music are presented. (KC)

Explains how a teacher, a Belizean of African descent who immigrated to the United States, feels about having grown up reading only Western literature. Explains the costs of such limited reading in psychological and emotional terms. Gives a brief review of a few well-known Caribbean authors, including Julia Alvarez and Jamaica Kincaid. (TB)

Describes historical and contemporary social relations in the Oaxaca Valley, Mexico, in order to illustrate fallacies in the folk-urban dichotomy that arise when spatial distribution is treated as a cultural characteristic. (Author/GC)

Bernstein argues that current criticisms of Columbus are an ideologically motivated rewriting of the past and that the point of studying history is to understand development not validate particular ideologies. Zappia criticizes the artistic community for its attempts to discredit Columbus and to eulogize the civilizations he allegedly destroyed.…

Applies palimpsest as model for recognizing Chicano cultural diversity. Promotes interdisciplinary approach to Chicano studies. Examines Aztlan (Aztec homeland) as historical place and nationalist symbol obscuring Chicano identity and Mesoamerican diversity. Encourages use of palimpsest as conceptual tool for Chicano studies, cultural identity,…

New multicultural anthologies too often end up looking suspiciously like the color palate of a paint-by-numbers kit. Canonical tokenism is quickly seen as a ruse by minority students and teachers who are circumspect and adept at uncovering counterfeits. As an alternative to tokenism, one recommendation is to use Patricia Bizzell's "contact…

Culture is a powerful force that may affect the reception and acceptance of communication. To determine if culture has an effect on perceived speaker effectiveness, students in one introductory speech communication class in a Florida university and a variety of courses in a university in the Bahamas, were given an 80-item questionnaire that was…

The issue of overrepresentation of minority groups in special education is discussed. The example of Mexican American and Puerto Rican children is used to illustrate that overrepresentation is justified and desirable if the relative need of the children in the groups differs in developmental and functional status. Policy implications are…

The document addresses communication problems between Anglo-American family planning counselors and Latin-American clients. Cultural differences in attitudes toward family, work, and sexuality are examined. The extended family provides the Latin-American woman with positive self-identity and serves as a source of social relations; it also favors…

The context of educational reform within which U.S. higher education has worked in selected Latin American countries is examined, with attention directed to the specific experience of the University of New Mexico. The evolution of the Latin American Programs in Education office (LAPE) in the university setting, the organizational milieu in which…