The student booklet presents short case studies illustrating the family unit of the Minneapolis Multi-Ethnic Curriculum Project for secondary schools. Thirteen brief chapters describe family life and patterns of different ethnic groups in the United States. They present stories of individuals in groups such as Puerto Ricans, Swedish Americans, Jews, Vietnamese refugees, Japanese Americans, Blacks, Italian Americans, Armenian Americans, American Indians, and Chinese Americans. Chapters also describe adoption procedures, the custom of Japanese picture brides, how to do a family tree, and the changing Chinese view of womanhood. A chapter on family patterns presents a chart comparing the characteristics of a traditional family with the characteristics of first and second generation ethnic families in the United States. Many styles of living are described, including single parent families, and families headed by grandparents. Some of the stories are first person accounts, while others are descriptive. (CK)