This essay contributes to the growing literature on Mexican American Studies in K-12 within the broader field of Ethnic Studies. While most of the literature on the movement for Ethnic Studies within Texas and across the nation mainly focuses on the impact of Ethnic Studies courses on students' academic success, this essay highlights a…

The Arizona legislature passed HB 2281, which eliminated Tucson Unified School District's (TUSD's) Mexican American Studies (MAS) program, arguing the curriculum was too political. This program has been at the center of contentious debates, but a central question has not been thoroughly examined: Do the classes raise student achievement? The…

Utilizing the critical race framework of intersectionality, this research reexamines the Chicana/o educational pipeline through a quantitative intersectional analysis. This approach disaggregates data along the intersection of race, class, gender, and citizenship status to provide a detailed portrait of the educational trajectory of Mexican-origin…

This study explored how first-generation Latino sophomores in a public research university describe the influence of Chicano Studies classes on their college transition experiences. Students reported that taking Chicano Studies offered them opportunities to handle feelings of isolation, build awareness of community heritage, develop more…

This single-case study utilized the data from a successful career and technical education (CTE) program at a public high school in southwest Texas. The CTE program selected addresses the needs of an at-risk student population in a public school district in southwest Texas whose student population was primarily Mexican American. The opportunity to…

Students at Tucson High School in Arizona, part of Tucson Unified School District's highly successful Mexican American Studies (MAS) K-12 program, the largest in the nation, are taught Indigenous concepts, including Panche Be (seek the root of the truth), and the Aztec and Maya calendars. The author speaks to the students about the relationship…

Access to some of the latest research findings and developments in Mexican American education is provided in this bibliography. A supplement to 2 previous ERIC/CRESS publications: "Mexican American Education, A Selected Bibliography" (ED 031 352) and "Mexican American Education, A Selected Bibliography--Supplement No. 1" (ED 048 961), the present…

Many students of Mexican descent must learn how to be successful students. This study describes 5 students of Mexican descent from situationally marginalized lives who were a part of a support and retention scholarship program (College Assistance Migrant Program--CAMP). These case studies document how they perceived their learning and how they…

Access to some of the latest research findings and developments in the education of Mexican American children and adults is provided by this bibliography, which is a supplement to the basic bibliography (ED 031 352). Academic achievement, bilingual education, and teaching English as a second language are emphasized. Included are more than 150…

Twenty-one fourth-year college students of Mexican-American ancestry attending the University of Arizona were interviewed to determine the unique qualities contributing to the students' persistence. The study used empowerment as its organizing model and identified institutional factors contributing to student success and persistence. Institutional…

Compares academic outcomes for 24 Spanish-dominant and 118 English-dominant Mexican American children in primary grades. Assesses impact of the experimental group's exposure to the transitional bilingual education program by examining their Spanish and English academic performance. Discusses implications for the education of bilingual learners.…

The author cites personality studies and the history of Chicano labor activism to refute cultural determinist claims that fatalism and low self-concept are inherent in Mexican American culture and that these traits are responsible for the high attrition rates and low educational attainment of this group. (Author/SJL)

Investigated academic achievement of Mexican-American students and conflict in values with Anglo-American culture. Mexican and Anglo-American students, their parents, and teachers reported their adherence to traditional school values and evaluated the importance of field independent behaviors to success in school. Attitudinal differences were…

Of the more than 2 million Spanish-surnamed students enrolled in the public elementary and secondary schools, more than 70% are located in the five Southwestern states of Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas, and of these more than 95% are Mexican Americans. However, in all five Southwestern states the proportion of Chicano…

Parents of high-achieving and low-achieving Mexican American fourth and fifth graders had similar beliefs about the importance of education and similar expectations for their children's educational attainment. Parents of high achievers were more likely to be upset by mediocre grades, to feel that they could help their children succeed, and to…