The org aniz e d political e orts to dis mantle a irmative action prog rams re s ulte d in both a... more The org aniz e d political e orts to dis mantle a irmative action prog rams re s ulte d in both advantag e s and dis advantag e s in ke e ping the doors of hig he r e ducation ope n to his torically unde rre pre s e nte d s tude nts .
Attitudes toward bilingualism among a national sample of per-sons'of Mexican descent are cas... more Attitudes toward bilingualism among a national sample of per-sons'of Mexican descent are cast in a set of social psychological forces in which structural integration and childhood linguistic environment influence ethnic identity, which in turn influ-ences bilingualism attitudes through its impact on political consciousness. Support is provided by evidence that ethnic identity, specifically a politically-framed conception of self as ChicanalChicano and as part of In mza, fosters positive views of bilingualism both directly and indirectly through political consciousness. Ethnic identity also influences bilingualism at-titudes through a different and contradictory path. Traditional self-conceptions as Mexican and Spanish-speaking directly en-courage support of bilingualism but, at the same time, engage conservative political attitudes that discourage it. Language is an obvious differentiator among ethnic groups (Giles & Powesland, 1975), one which fosters the political, economic a...
How ironic that the dismantling of affirmative action in California resulting from the passage of... more How ironic that the dismantling of affirmative action in California resulting from the passage of Proposition 209 in 1996 has led to an opportunity: a new discourse has emerged on whether and how to create more meaningful measures of merit. Contextual aspects of learning--how history, setting and opportunity affect motivation and performance--are now finding a place in the discussion. Future generations may find that Scholastic Aptitude Test scores, grade point averages, and enrollment in advanced placement classes are no longer the primary measures by which their accomplishments are indexed and compared. Indeed, a new constellation of factors is being assembled that may reshape the definition of merit as we know it. The theoretical basis for the radical reconstruction of merit has multiple sources of long-standing support in various academic disciplines (Tierney 1997). Feminist scholars have critiqued the derogation of "women's way of knowing" (Goldberger et al. 1996). In ethnic studies, writers have bemoaned the lack of respect given to cultural variations in the definitions of what constitutes knowledge and the devaluation of experience as praxis for learning (Sandoval 1991; Perez 1993). In the social sciences, researchers have offered data on the multiple ways of learning, including "instructional conversations" (Stanton-Salazar, Vazquez and Mehan 1996). And in the humanities, the power relations between groups in our society are understood to greatly influence what is regarded as "truth" and "knowing" (duCille 1996; Newfield and Gordon 1996). Furthermore, displacing the single-factor monolith, cognitive scientists now understand "intelligence" to be multidimensional, context-specific and flexible in the problem solving it facilitates (Sternberg 1996). The current definition of merit must be broadened to incorporate these more recent understandings of learning, knowledge and group memberships. For the first time in years, there is a public discussion of the basis and legitimacy of our meritocracy and the ways in which its socially constructed standards appear to be biased against various group memberships. While some version of "merit" no doubt will continue to be used to measure individual accomplishments, the role of group values, cultures and languages are also being discussed and considered in these more sophisticated equations. Ultimately, what we should mean by merit, in a system that values, implements and protects equity, will depend on the outcome of ongoing discussions between multiple constituencies. Although Latinos were the largest population to be adversely affected by Proposition 209 in California (because of their population size), the debate over its impact nonetheless was framed largely in terms of Black/White race relations (Moran 1996). As a result, to date, Latinos have had only a marginal voice in the subsequent discussion. Yet the persistent exclusion of Latinos, as well as other group constituencies, from prominent roles in this discussion and from equality-related policy making seems especially problematic as we move from a "multicultural state to a multicultural society" and as differences in numbers begin to translate into cultural transformations (Hayes-Bautista, Schink and Chapa 1988). The future definition of merit will need to be revised to reflect the complexity of these changing demographics. The challenge will lie not just in developing but also in integrating and implementing the new conceptualizations of merit. Some small steps have already been taken in this direction. For a time, the administration of the University of California considered abolishing standardized testing as a measure of academic achievement (Garcia and Hurtado 1997). Also considered was the use of a portfolio to evaluate students' merits and to examine contextual factors. Another proposal was the construction of a composite index of "opportunities to learn," consisting of parents' higher education histories, number of advanced placement courses taken versus number offered, high school teacher-to-student ratios, etc. …
Page 1. Becoming the Mainstream: Merit, Changing Demographics, and Higher Education in California... more Page 1. Becoming the Mainstream: Merit, Changing Demographics, and Higher Education in California Aída Hurtado1 Craig Haneyn & Eugene E. Garciatn Introduction In this essay we discuss the nature of what one commentator ...
ABSTRACT The academic study of “race” varies from discipline to discipline. “Race” is placed in q... more ABSTRACT The academic study of “race” varies from discipline to discipline. “Race” is placed in quotes in this instance because historically race was considered a biological category that denoted unalterable biological characteristics between races. There is a long intellectual history of documenting phenotypic differences between “races” and a quest for developing a taxonomy based on secondary biological differences like skin color, hair texture, head size, and phenotype. Race is now considered a social construction grounded in history, social relations, and imposed ideologies. However, there is still much debate about how to best study race and its consequences. In this article, I explore the approaches used to study race in three academic disciplines: Social Psychology, Feminist Studies, and Chicana and Chicano Studies. I place a special emphasis on Social Psychology in accordance with my graduate training and the intellectual orientation present in my work. My approach aligns with that of other scholars who have moved from defining race as a personal characteristic to the relational process of racialization, which is constructed through social interaction as well as structurally through institutions, law, and government. The term I offer to intersectional racialization to capture the complexities of situational and structural dynamics.
The International Quarterly of Community Health Education, 1988
This article describes midwife practices and recommends a possible training program for midwives ... more This article describes midwife practices and recommends a possible training program for midwives in South Texas. A 100-item questionnaire was administered to twentyfive practicing midwives in South Texas. All the interviews were tape-recorded. The midwives were all women and they ranged in age from thirtyeight to eighty years old. A qualitative analysis of these interviews indicates that a midwife training program is necessary to standardize and upgrade the practice of midwifery in this area. In addition, all midwives interviewed expressed an interest in participating in a training program. Finally, recommendations are made for designing a training program that would be efficient and culturally relevant to this midwife population. A recent article in Newsweek [ 11 paints a vivid picture of the health conditions in South Texas by describing the area as "A Grim New Appalachia" and the Rio Grande Valley as "the poorest region in the United States." As many as 250,000 American citizens live in 400 rural slums known as "colonias" where unemployment runs as high as 50 percent and water supplies are "fouled and chronic diseases are rampant." The unsanitary conditions prevalent in the colonias make them fertile ground for diseases, such as polio and tuberculosis, usually found only in developing countries. Recent budgetary cuts by the Reagan administration for federally funded clinics have resulted in waiting lists as long as 1,000 patients for some of the remaining facilities. Most of the
The org aniz e d political e orts to dis mantle a irmative action prog rams re s ulte d in both a... more The org aniz e d political e orts to dis mantle a irmative action prog rams re s ulte d in both advantag e s and dis advantag e s in ke e ping the doors of hig he r e ducation ope n to his torically unde rre pre s e nte d s tude nts .
Attitudes toward bilingualism among a national sample of per-sons'of Mexican descent are cas... more Attitudes toward bilingualism among a national sample of per-sons'of Mexican descent are cast in a set of social psychological forces in which structural integration and childhood linguistic environment influence ethnic identity, which in turn influ-ences bilingualism attitudes through its impact on political consciousness. Support is provided by evidence that ethnic identity, specifically a politically-framed conception of self as ChicanalChicano and as part of In mza, fosters positive views of bilingualism both directly and indirectly through political consciousness. Ethnic identity also influences bilingualism at-titudes through a different and contradictory path. Traditional self-conceptions as Mexican and Spanish-speaking directly en-courage support of bilingualism but, at the same time, engage conservative political attitudes that discourage it. Language is an obvious differentiator among ethnic groups (Giles & Powesland, 1975), one which fosters the political, economic a...
How ironic that the dismantling of affirmative action in California resulting from the passage of... more How ironic that the dismantling of affirmative action in California resulting from the passage of Proposition 209 in 1996 has led to an opportunity: a new discourse has emerged on whether and how to create more meaningful measures of merit. Contextual aspects of learning--how history, setting and opportunity affect motivation and performance--are now finding a place in the discussion. Future generations may find that Scholastic Aptitude Test scores, grade point averages, and enrollment in advanced placement classes are no longer the primary measures by which their accomplishments are indexed and compared. Indeed, a new constellation of factors is being assembled that may reshape the definition of merit as we know it. The theoretical basis for the radical reconstruction of merit has multiple sources of long-standing support in various academic disciplines (Tierney 1997). Feminist scholars have critiqued the derogation of "women's way of knowing" (Goldberger et al. 1996). In ethnic studies, writers have bemoaned the lack of respect given to cultural variations in the definitions of what constitutes knowledge and the devaluation of experience as praxis for learning (Sandoval 1991; Perez 1993). In the social sciences, researchers have offered data on the multiple ways of learning, including "instructional conversations" (Stanton-Salazar, Vazquez and Mehan 1996). And in the humanities, the power relations between groups in our society are understood to greatly influence what is regarded as "truth" and "knowing" (duCille 1996; Newfield and Gordon 1996). Furthermore, displacing the single-factor monolith, cognitive scientists now understand "intelligence" to be multidimensional, context-specific and flexible in the problem solving it facilitates (Sternberg 1996). The current definition of merit must be broadened to incorporate these more recent understandings of learning, knowledge and group memberships. For the first time in years, there is a public discussion of the basis and legitimacy of our meritocracy and the ways in which its socially constructed standards appear to be biased against various group memberships. While some version of "merit" no doubt will continue to be used to measure individual accomplishments, the role of group values, cultures and languages are also being discussed and considered in these more sophisticated equations. Ultimately, what we should mean by merit, in a system that values, implements and protects equity, will depend on the outcome of ongoing discussions between multiple constituencies. Although Latinos were the largest population to be adversely affected by Proposition 209 in California (because of their population size), the debate over its impact nonetheless was framed largely in terms of Black/White race relations (Moran 1996). As a result, to date, Latinos have had only a marginal voice in the subsequent discussion. Yet the persistent exclusion of Latinos, as well as other group constituencies, from prominent roles in this discussion and from equality-related policy making seems especially problematic as we move from a "multicultural state to a multicultural society" and as differences in numbers begin to translate into cultural transformations (Hayes-Bautista, Schink and Chapa 1988). The future definition of merit will need to be revised to reflect the complexity of these changing demographics. The challenge will lie not just in developing but also in integrating and implementing the new conceptualizations of merit. Some small steps have already been taken in this direction. For a time, the administration of the University of California considered abolishing standardized testing as a measure of academic achievement (Garcia and Hurtado 1997). Also considered was the use of a portfolio to evaluate students' merits and to examine contextual factors. Another proposal was the construction of a composite index of "opportunities to learn," consisting of parents' higher education histories, number of advanced placement courses taken versus number offered, high school teacher-to-student ratios, etc. …
Page 1. Becoming the Mainstream: Merit, Changing Demographics, and Higher Education in California... more Page 1. Becoming the Mainstream: Merit, Changing Demographics, and Higher Education in California Aída Hurtado1 Craig Haneyn & Eugene E. Garciatn Introduction In this essay we discuss the nature of what one commentator ...
ABSTRACT The academic study of “race” varies from discipline to discipline. “Race” is placed in q... more ABSTRACT The academic study of “race” varies from discipline to discipline. “Race” is placed in quotes in this instance because historically race was considered a biological category that denoted unalterable biological characteristics between races. There is a long intellectual history of documenting phenotypic differences between “races” and a quest for developing a taxonomy based on secondary biological differences like skin color, hair texture, head size, and phenotype. Race is now considered a social construction grounded in history, social relations, and imposed ideologies. However, there is still much debate about how to best study race and its consequences. In this article, I explore the approaches used to study race in three academic disciplines: Social Psychology, Feminist Studies, and Chicana and Chicano Studies. I place a special emphasis on Social Psychology in accordance with my graduate training and the intellectual orientation present in my work. My approach aligns with that of other scholars who have moved from defining race as a personal characteristic to the relational process of racialization, which is constructed through social interaction as well as structurally through institutions, law, and government. The term I offer to intersectional racialization to capture the complexities of situational and structural dynamics.
The International Quarterly of Community Health Education, 1988
This article describes midwife practices and recommends a possible training program for midwives ... more This article describes midwife practices and recommends a possible training program for midwives in South Texas. A 100-item questionnaire was administered to twentyfive practicing midwives in South Texas. All the interviews were tape-recorded. The midwives were all women and they ranged in age from thirtyeight to eighty years old. A qualitative analysis of these interviews indicates that a midwife training program is necessary to standardize and upgrade the practice of midwifery in this area. In addition, all midwives interviewed expressed an interest in participating in a training program. Finally, recommendations are made for designing a training program that would be efficient and culturally relevant to this midwife population. A recent article in Newsweek [ 11 paints a vivid picture of the health conditions in South Texas by describing the area as "A Grim New Appalachia" and the Rio Grande Valley as "the poorest region in the United States." As many as 250,000 American citizens live in 400 rural slums known as "colonias" where unemployment runs as high as 50 percent and water supplies are "fouled and chronic diseases are rampant." The unsanitary conditions prevalent in the colonias make them fertile ground for diseases, such as polio and tuberculosis, usually found only in developing countries. Recent budgetary cuts by the Reagan administration for federally funded clinics have resulted in waiting lists as long as 1,000 patients for some of the remaining facilities. Most of the
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