1st Edition

Mexican American Children and Families Multidisciplinary Perspectives

Edited By Yvonne M. Caldera, Eric Lindsey Copyright 2015
    314 Pages 4 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    294 Pages 4 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    Offering insight on Mexican American culture, families, and children, this book provides an interdisciplinary examination of this growing population. Leaders from psychology, education, health, and social policy review recent research and provide policy implications of their findings. Both quantitative and qualitative literature is summarized. Using current theories, the handbook reviews the cultural, social, and inter- and intra-personal experiences that contribute to the well-being of Mexican Americans. Each chapter follows the same format to make comparisons easier. Researchers and students from various disciplines interested in Mexican Americans will appreciate this accessible book.

    Part 1: Introduction 1. Who Are Mexican Americans: An Overview of History, Immigration, and Cultural Values Y.M. Caldera, P. Velez, E. Lindsey 2. What Does It Mean to Be Mexican American? Children’s and Adolescents’ Perspectives S.M. Quintana, T. Chavez, A.M. Ramírez Stege 3. Using Culturally Informed Theory to Study Mexican American Children and Families R. White, G. Knight, M. Roosa Part 2: Family Contexts 4. Mexican-American Children and School Readiness: An Ecological Perspective D. Aldoney, E. Karberg, J. Malin, N.J. Cabrera 5. Co-Parenting in Mexican American Intact Families E.W. Lindsey, Y.M. Caldera 6. Attentive Helpfulness as a Cultural Practice of Mexican-Heritage Families A. Lopez, O. Ruvalcaba, B. Rogoff 7. The Study of Mexican Immigrant Families’ Space A.E. Arzubiaga, J. Brinkerhoff, B.G. Seeley Part 3: School and Community Contexts 8. Issues in Educating Mexican American English Language Learners E. Midobuche, A.H. Benavides, F. Koca 9. Bilingual Language Development in Early Childhood: Research and Policy Implications for Mexican-American Children M. Zepeda, J.L. Rodriguez 10. Mexican American Parents' Involvement in their Children's Schooling M. Suizzo Part 4: Perspectives on Mental Health 11. Mexican American's Help-Seeking of Counseling Services: Removing Barriers to Access and Focusing on Strengths L.R. Sanchez 12. Parenting and Children’s Mental Health in Mexican American Families C. Klinkebiel, N. Harris, J. Borrego Jr 13. The Cultural Adaptation and Mental Health of Mexican American Adolescents N.A. Gonzales, M. Jensen, Z. Montano, H. Wynne Part 5: Perspectives on Physical Health 14. Nutritional Resilience in Mexican Immigrant/Mexican-Americans: How Might Food Contribute to the Hispanic Paradox? G.X. Ayala, E. Arredondo 15. Indigenous Health and Coping Resources in Mexican American Communities R. Lopez 16. The Psychology of Health: Physical Health and the Role of Culture and Behavior in Mexican Americans J.M. Ruiz, H.A. Hamann, J. Garcia, S.J. Craddock Lee 17. Promoting the Health of Mexican American Infants and Young Children M.O. Caughy, L. Franzini Part 6: Conclusions 18. Perspectives and Recommendations for Future Directions E. Lindsey, Y.M. Caldera

    Biography

    Yvonne M. Caldera is Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Texas Tech University. 

    Eric W. Lindsey is Professor of Applied Psychology at Penn State University – Berks Campus.

    "Caldera & Lindsey offer a timely multidisciplinary overview of recent advances in our understanding of Mexican American families with a focus on the strengths of these families. The volume will be of value to novices and established scholars in many disciplines who share an interest in ethnicity and families." – Ross D. Parke, University of California -Riverside, USA

    "Scholars at all levels of expertise will benefit from this book, which covers an impressive breadth of topics, transcends disciplinary boundaries, and emphasizes a strengths-based approach to understanding the experiences of an important segment of the U.S. Latino population." – Adriana J. Umaña-Taylor, Arizona State University, USA

    "The … social and ecosystemic framework … of this highly informative book allows the practitioner and researcher to move away from deficit-based approaches and fully embrace a strengths-based approach, incorporating their heritage and expertise when working with Mexican American populations." – Elizabeth Aguilar, CIFAC Centro de Investigación Familiar A.C., Mexico

    "This book will be very useful as a training tool … for practitioners in diverse health fields as well as education. ...The book is intended for scholars and graduate students, but ... it can be used with more advance undergraduates. I ... will use the book in my courses … [on] psychological perspectives on the Chicano/Latino family."   Yvette G. Flores, University of California – Davis, USA

    "The book could play a significant role in shaping future research on Mexican Americans. ... Upper division undergraduates could easily handle the content of the book ... [along with] ... early childhood education, social work/welfare, public health, and nursing programs [that] … have classes on cultural diversity and /or ethnic children and families." – Amado M. Padilla, Stanford University, USA

    "The writing is strong and clear. ...This book is perfect for campuses that have Ethnic Studies departments …  or for more general departments (sociology, psychology, marriage and family therapy) that are geographically located in areas that are highly populated by Mexican Americans."  Melanie M. Domenech Rodríguez, Utah State University, USA

    "[The book] follows an ecological model in presenting Mexican American child development and family life from multidisciplinary perspectives. [...] The underlying theme of this collection is consistently positive, focused around a generative view of the lives of Mexican American children and adolescents in families in the context of communities." -Joan Koss-Chioino, PsycCRITIQUES, 2015