Browsing by Subject "Mexican-American"
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Item A content analysis of the career paths and cultural capital of Mexican-American male principals: A critical race discourse on the journey toward the principalship(2012-08) Horak, John; Valle, Fernando; Mendez-Morse, Sylvia; Klinker, JoAnn F.This is a content analysis of the career paths and cultural wealth of Mexican-American male principals. A Critical Race Theory (CRT) perspective on the journey toward the principalship was utilized to frame and ground the study. There is a critical need to identify and examine the perceptions of race, and racial barriers, in the principalship. This research utilized critical qualitative questioning, counter narratives, and content analysis as approaches to provide a deeper understanding on how race impacted the principal journey. Content analysis provided a research design method which allowed for the organization of the tremendous amount of data collected (Schreiber & Asner-Self, 2011). The context of the study was conducted from a critical race lens which is an intellectually and politically committed movement that studies race, racism, and power (Delgado & Stefancic, 2001). The framework was used a strength-based approach utilizing cultural wealth, an array of knowledge, skills, abilities, and contacts possessed and utilized by communities of color to survive and resist macro and micro-forms of oppression (Yosso, 2005). The aim of this analysis was to evaluate the career paths of seven Mexican-American male principals and their narratives about their experiences with race and ethnicity and the cultural wealth used in order to obtain the principalship. Procedures of data collection included the selection of the seven Mexican-American male principals, initial interviews, transcribing and analyzing interviews, member checks, and a reflexive journal. Three central themes were identified from the data analysis including impact of race, the role of gender, and cultural wealth harnessed. This study found: racial barriers were still in place, covertly practiced examples of deficit thinking by the dominant culture, and microagressions by the racially dominate group. Findings of this study regarding gender and Mexican-American male principal career paths included that 100% had a strong male role model(s) in their homes growing up. Cultural wealth findings of this study illustrated that all had extended family and community support and racial conversations highlighted obstacles and racial structures in place to challenge them as they became principals.Item Acculturation, Alcohol Expectancies, and Alcohol Use Among Mexican-American Adolescents(2011-02-22) Flato, Claudia GracielaThe current study was designed to examine the influence of cultural orientation on alcohol involvement among Mexican-American adolescents. Also, this study assessed whether cultural orientation predicted positive and negative alcohol expectancies for the effects of drinking one to two drinks or bingeing; and whether alcohol-use expectancies mediated the effects of acculturation on drinking practices. The participants were 300 Mexican-American high school students (M = 16.5, SD = 1.15; 178 female and 122 male) from a city along the Texas/Mexico border who were mostly self-identified as 2nd generation Mexican-Americans. The students completed the questionnaires regarding alcohol involvement, acculturation, and alcohol expectancies. Significant findings in the current study indicated a higher orientation to Mexican culture predicted higher levels of alcohol involvement for boys; whereas, a higher orientation to U.S. culture predicted higher alcohol involvement for girls. Also, identification with Mexican culture for girls predicted negative alcohol expectancies for low and high quantities of alcohol use.Item Child rearing beliefs held by Hispanic mothers: clinical and theoretical implications(2010-05) Hinojosa, Jennifer; Bedore, Lisa M.This study investigated the cross-cultural and intracultural diversity of Anglo-American and Mexican-American individual’s beliefs regarding nine child rearing variables. Eleven Mexican-American and ten Anglo-American students at the University of Texas at Austin completed a questionnaire. Results indicated that when compared to Anglo-American participants, Mexican-American participants provided more collectivistic-oriented answers for two of the nine child rearing variables. Furthermore, Mexican-American participants were more likely than their parents to hold more individualistic-oriented values for three of nine child rearing variables. Clinical implications of the findings are discussed.Item Curanderismo and Mental Health: Mexican and Mexican-American Beliefs, Attitudes, and AcculturationRamirez, Kelsie Lozano; Curtis, Drew A; Contreras, Jose A; Lee, Jungeun; Self, Raelye TThis study explored the effects of generation on Mexican and Mexican-American beliefs about mental illness, their willingness to seek out psychological help, and their beliefs and attitudes about curanderismo, a Mexican folk-healing practice. This study utilized a convenience sample from four locations. Participants were split into two groups: Group 1 consisted of Mexicans or 1st and 2nd generation Mexican-Americans and Group 2 included participants who reported being 3rd, 4th, or 5th generation Mexican-Americans. The findings of the study indicated no significant differences between the two generation groups on beliefs and attitudes toward curanderismo, attitudes toward psychotherapy and psychotherapists, and attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help. There was a statistically significant difference in the scores between the two generation groups on beliefs toward mental illness. Implications of research and practice are discussed.Item Curanderismo and Mental Health: Mexican and Mexican-American Beliefs, Attitudes, and AcculturationRamirez, Kelsie Lozano; Curtis, Drew A; Contreras, Jose A; Lee, Jungeun; Self, Raelye TThis study explored the effects of generation on Mexican and Mexican-American beliefs about mental illness, their willingness to seek out psychological help, and their beliefs and attitudes about curanderismo, a Mexican folk-healing practice. This study utilized a convenience sample from four locations. Participants were split into two groups: Group 1 consisted of Mexicans or 1st and 2nd generation Mexican-Americans and Group 2 included participants who reported being 3rd, 4th, or 5th generation Mexican-Americans. The findings of the study indicated no significant differences between the two generation groups on beliefs and attitudes toward curanderismo, attitudes toward psychotherapy and psychotherapists, and attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help. There was a statistically significant difference in the scores between the two generation groups on beliefs toward mental illness. Implications of research and practice are discussed.Item Exploring characteristics of effective multicultural education in Mexican and Mexican-American art museums(2011-05) Severin, Andrea Vargas; Mayer, Melinda M.; Bolin, PaulThe increase in the Latino population, and specifically the Mexican-American population, in the United States demonstrates the need for meaningful multicultural museum education to, for, and about this demographic. This exploratory case study investigates the educational programming in the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago, Illinois and Mexic-Arte Museum in Austin, Texas through observations of programs and curricular documents and interviews and seeks to identify characteristics of effective multicultural art education related to this cultural group. While highlighting Mexican and Mexican-American art and artists serves as the primary content of program curricula, museum educators at these institutions aim for education that is socially conscious and meaningful. The author of this study argues that effective multicultural museum programming has the potential to positively impact program participants on an educational, personal, and societal level.Item “I wanted my tiara, damn it” : queer kinship and drag royalty in Felicia Luna Lemus’ Trace elements of random tea parties(2013-05) Traylor, Julia Faith Foshee; Wojciehowski, Hannah Chapelle, 1957-This paper traces La Llorona’s evolution from ancient Aztec cosmology to Trace Elements of Random Tea Parties, a contemporary novel by Felicia Luna Lemus. I argue that the protagonist’s entrenchment in her own Llorona myth ultimately inhibits the development of a queer community in collaboration with the community of her birth. While Trace Elements of Random Tea Parties leaves the tension between familial duty and personal desire unresolved, the constant narrative oscillation between past tea parties with Leti’s grandmothers and present tea parties with Leti’s chosen lesbian familia opens a space for new kinship structures to emerge, remapping the contours of the Mexican-American family and a woman’s role within it.Item Latina Administrators' Ways of Leadership: Preparando Chicanas(2013-04-04) Lopez, Michelle MarieThe purpose of this study was to 1) identify the pathways and strategies by which Latina administrators reach their positions within student affairs, 2) examine how the intersection of gender and ethnicity influence their leadership and 3) describe their leadership styles utilizing traditional models, or something unique to Latinas. As the number of Latinas enrolling in higher education continues to rise and outweigh those of their male counterparts, this knowledge can help inform current student affairs administrators about ways to recruit and increase the pipeline of Latinas prepared to assume administrative positions within higher education, particularly in student affairs. A naturalistic inquiry research method was employed utilizing both a feminist and Chicana feminist lens. The author interviewed 12 Mexican American women in the state of Texas who were employed at both public and private four-year institutions in the division of student affairs. Their positions ranged from that of Director to Vice President. Family and personal influences, education, university environment and external influences were identified as factors leading these administrators to their positions. Both gender and ethnicity were intertwined in who they are and how they lead. Components of the leadership styles employed by the women studied included those of constructed knowledge for effective leadership. Additionally, these women?s Latinidad shaped their leadership styles, operating from a collectivist orientation as experienced in the typical Chicana/o family versus an individualistic orientation typically espoused in an Anglo family. As our campuses experience Latino students enrolling in greater numbers, particularly women, it is important to ensure suitable numbers of Latina administrators who are able to advocate for these students.Item Mexican-American college women and their perceptions on sexuality in the U.S.(2012-05) Arreaga, Angie; Rodriguez, Néstor; Torres, RebeccaDiscussion between Mexican migrant mothers and Mexican-American daughters in the United States and their changing perceptions of sexuality were studied. Literature review is presented to give the reader insight into the cultural, media, music and identity issues faced by Mexican-American women and how these aspects affect their perceptions of sexuality. Sixteen Mexican-American college women volunteered to complete a questionnaire about their experiences discussing sexuality with their mothers. Analysis of the responses through use of quotes from literature and examples of study participant responses were used to understand the experiences shared by these women. The results showed that the mothers were not explicitly discussing sexuality with their daughters, but that the daughters were getting their information from other sources such as friends, school, and media. The conclusions that were drawn from the literature review and questionnaire responses are that Mexican-American daughters are blending their mother’s ideas as well as their own in shaping their perceptions on sexuality. The literature review depicts this blending through works from Mexican-American women.Item Safety first? : looking at a non-traditional safety training program for Spanish-speaking construction workers(2012-12) Prochnow, Allison Nicole; Zamora, Emilio; Zamora, Emilio; Stidvent, VeronicaConstruction is a very deadly industry with Texas having the highest rate of deaths of construction workers of any state. Hispanic workers are at an even higher risk than white, non-Hispanic workers for being injured or killed while working on a construction site. However, traditional materials available through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to train workers in job safety cannot effectively reach the Hispanic construction worker population because of language and educational barriers. This study examines a non-traditional safety training program tailored specifically for Spanish monolingual construction workers in order to reach these otherwise hard-to-reach workers, created by Workers Defense Project (WDP) in Austin, Texas, through a Department of Labor grant. Through participatory learning techniques, WDP has had a high rate of success in educating low-literacy, Spanish monolingual construction workers on workplace safety and rights. Through further evaluation of this program, the unique methods utilized in this training can be developed and applied in other areas and industries to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities in construction and other hazardous industries.Item The Experience of Job-Displaced Mexican-Americans From San Antonio, Texas Who Have Received Retraining(2012-10-19) Mena, DianaWhat is the meaning of the Mexican-American's job displacement and participation in a training program? To answer this question, this study adopted hermeneutic phenomenology as a methodological approach. My intention was to search for deep meaning of job displacement followed by entering an educational program. Ten Mexican-American individuals who had been displaced from their job due to economic and trade reasons, and who later participated in a retraining program, were interviewed. Tentative themes were drawn from the analysis, and 15 thematic categories were confirmed after follow-up interviews. The themes were: Mexican-American Culture, Machismo, Self-determination, Resilience, Union Membership, Job Security, Have Someone Advocate for Their Rights, Job Displacement, Trade-related Closure, Breach of the Psychological Contract, Emotional Distress, Education and Retraining, Entrepreneurship and Problems with Workforce Benefits. The themes were expanded based on participants' words and then discussed through a post-analysis literature review. Recommendations were made to government and non-government organizations advocating for a potential change in policies. Recommendations were also provided to healthcare providers and to U.S. American workers. Finally, recommendations were made for future research.