THE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE OF HISPANIC AMERICAN WOMEN: THE BROKEN WEB
Edited by Teresa McKenna and Flora Ida Ortiz. 1989 264 pgs (pbk) ISBN
0942177002 Ser.: La Mujer Latina.. Illus., index & biblio. $35.00; Class use: $23.95
A most revealing anthology of essays and exposé on the failure of publicly funded
institutions to provide and encourage the educational attainment and achievement of
Hispanic American women.
It also reveals that private parochial schools do by contrast a much better job in
educating Hispanic women.
It provides evidence that Hispanic women outperform in terms of academic achievement and
aspirations Hispanic males, Anglo males and Anglo females and Blacks in parochial schools.
Hispanic women are most definitely an academic success story that needs to be communicated
to the public at large. Because of this success, the focus of the discussion of the
education of Hispanics needs to be switched from the students to the performance of public
schools. Parochial schools operate with fewer resources but a greater commitment to
minority students. Hispanic American women respond to that commitment with academic
excellence.
MEXICAN AMERICAN IDENTITY.
Edited by Martha E. Bernal and Phylis C. Martinelli. 200 pgs (pbk) ISBN: 0915745259
Includes tables, biblio. $35.00 For Class Use $22.95
This book, focuses on Mexican American ethnic identity, an important dimension of
ethnicity. "Who am I?" is a basic human inquiry. Eleven essays, whose topics
range from historical analysis of Mexican American identity; society's views of Mexican
Americans and how these images can influence ethnic identity of Mexican American women,
young children, adolescents, and discussions of the political and policy impacts of
Mexican American identity in cross-cultural and American settings. Other aspects discussed
are ethnicity and ethnic identity in Mexico and Mexican America; Mexican immigrant
nationalism as an origin of identity for Mexican Americans; and specifies the links
between ethnic identity and public policy; ethnic dimensions of gender and the dilemmas of
high achieving Chicanas.