Elderly Mexican Americans (n=25) participated in ethnographic interviews about folk healing and its influence on health care behaviors. Participants relied on modern medicine to treat serious injuries but still considered folk healing a viable alternative when modern health care was unsatisfactory or ineffective. (JBJ)

Discusses ethnic and racial discrimination directed at Hispanics and affecting their employment level, educational attainment, housing, and use of native language. Suggested strategies to eradicate discrimination include raising public consciousness of Hispanic contributions, participating in the political system, and getting involved in…

A Caucasian teacher reflects on her experiences over the years of being part of and then teaching within diverse student populations, explaining what it feels like to be white in a world so worried about, yet so often unfair to, people of color. (SM)

In an effort to recruit and retain Hispanic students in higher education, some policymakers are advocating a program using Hispanic faculty as role models. It is argued that, as currently conceived, such programs cannot be successful, and that the ideological and structural factors in academe that relegate Hispanic faculty to second-class status…

Hispanic Americans face numerous barriers to educational opportunities, particularly in higher education. Cooperation and integration of services and interventions at various life stages and levels of education bridge the gap between the skills of many secondary school graduates and those needed to succeed in college. Such collaborative programs,…

Discusses the reliability and validity of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) for Hispanic children and adolescents. Claims that cultural aspects of mental disorders are largely omitted. Provides a table of potential sources of bias and recommendations for reducing diagnostic errors with Hispanic children. (Contains…

An annual national survey shows that black enrollment in colleges and universities grew more slowly than other minority groups' enrollment and that Hispanic and Asian American enrollments grew most. Summary enrollment data for racial and ethnic groups in each state are presented, with one-year changes indicated at the national level. (MSE)

Analysis of Anglo or Hispanic ninth-graders' (n=244) reports on coping strategies showed that females engaged in social relationships and creating change, either in actual or cognitive terms, more frequently than males. Boys tended to rely on stress reduction activities or diversions. Ethnicity tactics were also noted. (RJM)

Profiles four youth programs. The Southwest Key Program (Texas, Arizona, Puerto Rico) offers community alternatives to institutionalization for delinquent minority youth. New Directions holistically restructures the lives of Chicago gang members. The Bruce Guadalupe Community School (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is bilingual and mandates parental…

Children of Hispanic migrant farmworkers are more susceptible to health problems than children in the general population. This paper discusses the common health problems seen in these children, highlighting special health needs of preschoolers pertinent to this multicultural population. Implications for professional preparation in health education…

Explores Chicanos' educational conditions and related outcomes from elementary school through college. Examines the theoretical models used to explain Chicanos' low achievement and educational attainment. Investigates the Effective Schools and Accelerated Schools intervention models and adapts them for use with Chicano students. This research…

The introduction and six chapters of this theme issue highlight phenomena in various ethnic and cultural contexts that illustrate what is really happening in terms of culture, ethnic identity, and the multicultural society. Field studies explore a variety of cultures and educational systems. (SLD)

Data from Current Population Surveys indicate that rural poverty increased from 1989 to 1993, one quarter of rural children live in poverty, the proportions of people in rural areas living alone and in single-parent families have increased, nonmetropolitan poverty remains highest in the South, and rural minorities continue to face especially…

A study of 50 elementary age Mexican-American, learning-disabled children and their parents was undertaken to determine whether sociocultural factors contribute to achievement test scores as they do to intelligence scores. Sociocultural variance reflecting family acculturation level is found to be related to achievement test performance. (24…

Studies dietary patterns that distinguish children with higher and lower mean daily percentages of calories from saturated fat using data from mothers of 205 Latino children aged 4-7 years in New York City. Substituting low-fat for whole milk appears a key strategy for lowering saturated fat intake. (SLD)