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In looking at youngsters within the school setting, Szapocznik,
Kurtines, and Fernandez (1980) find that exhibiting a bicultural
perspective rather than remaining monocultura! enables children to
achieve a more effective adjustment to the environment in which they
live. When second generation Cuban-American youth overacculturate
and give up their Hispanic roots, it is not uncommon for them to become
hostile to all authority figures. They may generalize this aggression
to the school setting where they may become highly disruptive dis
cipline problems. Underacculturated adolescents may display the
opposite behavior, isolating themselves from contact with the "foreign
environment"--the U.S. culture. These children appear withdrawn,
depressed, and often neurotic in their behavior. The researchers
suggest learning sessions would be beneficial for these students. In
the sessions students would explore the ethnic values of the Hispanic
and North American cultures. They would discuss differences in
communication styles and cultural differences and similarities.
English Language Acquisition and Retention of Spanish
Different levels of government assistance have influenced the
Cuban assimilation within the labor market and political structure.
Hernandez (1974) and Rogg and Cooney (1980) believe that the large
segments of the Cuban population experiencing downward occupational
mobility and unemployment could be helped by more extensive English-
training programs, greater access to apprentice-training programs,
and increased financial aid for higher education.