Thesis (Ph. D.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Comparative Literature Dept., 2005. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1986. / Vita. Bibliography: leaves [244]-254.

A longitudinal study of Ascaris lumbricoides reinfection over a 9-10 month period was carried out in a wastewater irrigated fanning region in Central Mexico (September 1989 - May 1991). The study assessed the relationship between different levels of exposure and its components, in the context of wastewater irrigation, and the prevalence and intensity of Ascaris infection. Three farming populations were studied: (1) those who irrigated with untreated or raw wastewater; (2) those who irrigated with wastewater that had sedimented during passage through a storage reservoir (a form of partial treatment); and (3) those who lived in a rain-fed area. Individuals' exposure to Ascaris eggs was estimated by in-depth interviews (characterising the frequency and type of contact with wastewater). Wastewater contact through agricultural activities was also estimated by structured observation. Predisposition to Ascaris infection was largely a consequence of behavioural and environmental factors that caused wastewater contact. Overdispersion of Ascaris intensity in the study population was not age- or gender-dependent. Over the 12-month monitoring period, untreated wastewater had a mean concentration of 96 Ascaris egg/litre and sedimented wastewater a concentration of < 1 Ascaris egg/litre. Contact with untreated wastewater during various activities was associated with differing degrees of excess risk of Ascaris infection in the respective groups: -crop irrigation: 3-fold risk among children -chilli production: 5-fold risk among men and higher intensity infections -tending livestock: 4-fold risk among women -consumption of crops irrigated with wastewater: 2-fold risk in men and children and higher intensity infections in children -sweeping the yard: 5-fold risk in women Contact with sedimented wastewater during play was associated with more than a two-fold risk in Ascaris infection among children, and during maize production, with higher intensity infections among men. The nematode egg guideline of ~l egg/litre is adequate to protect the health of farmers using wastewater in agriculture, but is not sufficient to protect children. Any future modifications of the guideline must consider this.

Much has been published in Chicano studies over the past thirty to forty years; lacking in the historiography are the roles that Chicanas have played, specifically concerning politics in Dallas, Texas. How were Chicanas able to advance El Movimiento (the Mexican American civil rights movement)? Anita Martínez was the first woman to serve on the Dallas City Council and the first Mexican American woman to be elected to the city council in any major U.S. city. She served on the council from 1969 to 1973 and remained active on various state and local boards until 1984. Although the political system of Dallas has systematically marginalized Mexican American political voices and eradicated Mexican American barrios, some Mexican Americans fought the status quo and actively sought out the improvement of Mexican barrios and an increase in Mexican American political representation, Anita N. Martínez was one of these advocates. Long before she was elected to office, she began her activism with efforts to improve her children’s access to education and efforts to improve the safety of her community. Martinez was a champion for the Chicano community, especially for the youth. Her work for and with young Chicanos has earned her the moniker, “Defender of Dreams.” She created a chicano recreation center in Dallas, as well as various poverty programs and neighborhood beautification projects. Although she has remained relatively unknown, during her tenure on the Dallas City Council, between the years 1969 and 1973, Anita Martínez made invaluable, lasting contributions to the Chicano community in Dallas.

No description available.

No description available.

This investigation sought the perceptions of a selected group of border-educated Mexican American community leaders regarding their curriculum preferences for Mexican American students of the community. The investigation was structured on the basis of a three-part theoretical framework drawn from the literature of psychology and education. The theory included the following: (1) Perceptual Psychology, (2) Philosophies of Education, and (3) Curriculum Considerations. An interview schedule organized on the basis of the theoretical framework was developed based on the Experimentalist, Conservative and Reconstructionist philosophies of education. These twenty Mexican American community leaders were interviewed in depth by the present investigator regarding their curriculum preferences for Mexican American students in their community. Among the findings, the following curriculum preferences indicated by the Mexican American community leaders appeared particularly significant: (1) Mexican American students should have the opportunity to have instruction in their native language throughout their educational careers; (2) Mexican American students should have the opportunity to experience a wide variety of positive personal relationships in the classroom and the school to strengthen their self-regard and confidence throughout their educational careers; (3) Mexican American students should have the opportunity to learn in a classroom environment where harmony between the intellectual and the emotional is continuously sought throughout their educational careers; (4) Mexican American students should have the opportunity to use their personal interests as points of departure for their learning throughout their educational careers; (5) Mexican American students, in order to be active and effective participants in society, should have the opportunity to acquire the leadership-cooperation skills of planning, thinking and deciding throughout their educational careers.

The purpose of this descriptive study in Nogales, Arizona, was to replicate an investigation conducted by Avelina Trujillo (1982) in Tucson, Arizona. This investigation sought the perceptions of selected groups of Mexican-American leaders in Nogales concerning their recollected classroom relationships with their teachers. The investigation was based on a three-part theoretical framework drawn from the literature of psychology, anthropology, and education as established by Trujillo (1982). The theory included the following: (1) Perceptual Processes; (2) Cultural Processes; and (3) Interpersonal Processes. The interview schedule utilized in the Nogales study consisted of 29 statements and associated Likert type scales. Provision was made for comments for each statement. Twenty Mexican-American community leaders in Nogales, Arizona, were identified and interviewed, utilizing the interview schedule. This schedule dealt with the perceived relationships which the participants had with their various teachers. Findings indicate: (1) The participants agreed that their teachers were aware of them and their backgrounds. (2) The participants agreed that their teachers accepted them and their backgrounds. (3) The participants did not feel that their teachers neither encouraged bilingualism nor accepted the participants' native language. (4) The participants noted that their teachers appeared to be sincerely concerned about the academic health and welfare needs of the students. (5) The participants reported that their teachers aspired for them to acquire good educations. (6) The participants reported that their teachers shared with them in their educational and personal problems. The findings from this investigation were compared and contrasted with the findings of the Trujillo (1982) study. The comparison of the data in the two studies was accomplished by computing the differentials (chi square) in perception of each of the 29 items of the interview schedule. Items that were considered to be most significantly different in the two studies were discussed.

Non-insulin diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is a major health problem affecting U.S. Mexicans. A population of Southwestern Arizona, near the U.S.-Mexico border, was studied to assess the biocultural environment in which disease develops, and to determine risk factors affecting the population. This geographic area is home to a high percentage of farmworkers of Mexican origin or ancestry. A global overview of macro- and micro-level issues was used to provide the context in which the population lives, and where the disease emerges and is maintained. The discussion of historical, economic, demographic, and social issues provide the background for the understanding of the natural and the social environments. Anthropological methods and techniques were used to assess and analyze numerous factors to determine the most useful for the identification of NIDDM risk. Methods used for data gathering included anthropometric measurements, survey instruments, ethnographic interviews, life history, and participant observation. Fifty-seven households participated in the study. A total of 212 subjects were measured; a sub-sample of 79 adults was also interviewed. The study identified 17 diabetics (12 females, 5 males). Prevalence of NIDDM for the sampled population was calculated at 8.2 percent. The rate was higher among females than among males. Diabetics were older than 45 years of age, were in poor health, had more than one source of income, and depended on social safety net assistance; high parity was characteristic of diabetic females. Diabetics' blood glucose (B.G.) levels were higher than those of non-diabetics, regardless of the variables tested. Known risk factors for NIDDM were not found to be significantly strong in the determination of diabetic status nor of B.G. levels. However, the ethnographic and quantitative data suggested that physiological variables may be affected by work and occupational related risks, diluting the prediction strength of known NIDDM risk factors. The yearly cycles of farm work and the physiological demands of the tasks involved are probably the most salient risk factors in farmworkers' lives. Recommendations are provided for the incorporation of anthropological theory, methods and techniques to the study of disease processes, and for the design of public health strategies.