This study explores the narratives of first-generation, Latinx graduate students whose parents emigrated from Mexico. We aimed to understand the life trajectories of six participants, particularly the ways in which they made sense of graduate education (MA and EdD) as part of their personal journeys, identity and practice as educators. Focus…

In this article, we present initial findings of an exploratory-pilot research study that focuses on "service learning" as a framework to examine "real learning" and identity changes of university students participating in a community based educational activity known as "La Clase Mágica." Student's reports and…

Preparing students as 21st century learners is a key reform in education. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills developed a framework that identifies outcomes needed for successful implementation of rigorous standards. The Dual Language (DL) program was identified as a structure for reform with systems and practices which can be used to prepare…

A description of a television program aimed at the Mexican-American community and of the problems faced in establishing such a program. (AK)

The Mexican American Unity Council aims to bring about economic and social change to San Antonio's Chicano community. (NQ)

Fictitious case study describes personnel problems in an attempt to provide an elementary school in a Mexican-American town in Texas with a community agent responsible for designing parent participation programs. Absence of any training causes the agent's rapid resignation. (MF)

A youth community informatics (YCI) research project intersected an inquiry learning model with the making of audiovisual podcasts to foster personal growth and community engagement in a group of Mexican American youth enrolled in an afterschool program. Specifically, the article describes the cycle of inquiry together with the development of a…

The article, written in Spanish, gives examples of the Barrio Education Project's work in San Antonio and poses some serious questions about the importance of Spanish for the Hispanic community. Illiteracy, or "functional illiteracy" is a growing problem in the U.S. among all sectors of the population--English- and Spanish-speaking.…

The Resource Center for Raza Planning (RCRP) at the University of New Mexico helps Mexican American college students use research to meet the needs of their communities. The formation and early development of RCRP are described, followed by its work on policy and planning related to community economic development. Implications for universities…

Describes locally controlled economic development strategies used by Native American and Hispanic cooperatives and organizations: Ganados del Valle, Madera Forest Products Association, Seventh Generation Fund, and Ramah Navajo Weavers Association. Discusses the issues of cultural and economic survival in isolated rural communities. (SV)

Most Chicanos live in relatively well-defined areas called "barrios" within urban areas. These barrios are growing in population density due to such long-term forces as the: (1) declining opportunities in rural areas due to the gradual labor displacement and/or the bleak economic prospects faced by the smaller farm in this country; (2)…

Colonias--unincorporated, low-income settlements endemic to the U.S. borderlands--have inadequate infrastructure and dismal living conditions, but also provide a creative solution to the housing dilemma faced by many border families. Colonias are most common in Texas and New Mexico, primarily as a result of weak rural planning laws, and are…

The Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas consists of three counties: Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy. Poverty pervades in the Valley, especially in the colonias ("a poor, rural unincorporated community with 20 or more dwelling units, where home ownership is the rule"). Colonia residents are almost exclusively Mexican Americans.…

As the first annual summary publication of Community Development Research at the University of California at Davis, this annotated bibliography is designed to provide small community officials with information on the latest community related research findings of researchers working at Davis. Included in this bibliography are: 3 books; 3…

This study examines how Latino families in Carpinteria (California) are building a community among themselves and with the school in support of the students. Parents who are knowledgeable about the school's expectations and the way in which the school operates are better advocates for their children than parents who lack such information. Research…