Introduction
Hispanic Americans are Americans of Spanish-speaking descent. Many Hispanic Americans are the descendants of Mexican people who lived in the Southwest when it became part of the United States. Almost all other Hispanic Americans or their ancestors migrated to the United States from Latin America.
The three largest Hispanic groups in the United States are Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Cuban Americans. As a group, Hispanic Americans represent a mixture of several ethnic backgrounds, including European, American Indian, and African.
Hispanic Americans are also called Latinos, because most are of Latin American origin. Many Hispanic people in the United States describe themselves simply as Americans. Like other minorities, Hispanic Americans have suffered from discrimination in jobs, housing, and education. Some Hispanics are also hampered by not having skills that are important for competing in U.S. society. For example, many new Hispanic immigrants cannot speak or understand English. Discrimination and the lack of such skills have contributed to a high rate of unemployment-and, consequently, a high rate of poverty-among Hispanics. Although millions of Hispanic Americans have overcome these obstacles, many others remain in poverty.
Cultural values
Hispanic Americans are united by customs, language, religion, and values. There is, however, an extensive diversity of traits among Hispanic Americans. One characteristic that is of paramount importance in most Hispanic cultures is family commitment, which involves loyalty, a strong support system, a belief that a child's behavior reflects on the honor of the family, a hierarchical order among siblings, and a duty to care for family members.
This strong sense of other-directedness conflicts with the United States' mainstream emphasis on individualism (Vasquez, 1990). Indeed, Hispanic culture's emphasis on cooperation in the attainment of goals can result in Hispanic students' discomfort with this nation's conventional classroom competition.
Hispanic adolescents are more inclined than Anglo.......
