Latinos and Latino Immigrants in the United States

The dramatic increase in the U.S. of people who are considered Latino or Latino immigrants has generated a need for understanding the experiences and consequences associated with a Latino culture. The present issue brings together research and theory in psychology, sociology, education, culture studies, and public policy surrounding Latinos and Latino immigrants. The issue introduces advances in thinking about ethnic identity, intergroup relations, educational outcomes, and cultural adaptations and transitions of Latinos and Latino immigrants in the U.S. OVERVIEW AND INTRODUCTION.

How Latinos Are Transforming the United States: Research, Theory, and Policy (Juan F. Casas and Carey S. Ryan).

ETHNIC IDENTITY AND INTERGROUP RELATIONS WITHIN THE U.S.

Mexican American High School Students’ Ethnic Self-Concepts and Identity (Stephen M. Quintana, Theresa A. Segura Herrera, and Mary Lee Nelson).

Interethnic Ideology, Intergroup Perceptions, and Cultural Orientation (Carey S. Ryan, Juan F. Casas, and Bobbi K. Thompson).

The Role of Cultural Inertia in Reactions to Immigration on the U.S./Mexico Border (Michael A. Z´arate and Moira P. Shaw).

Understanding Bias toward Latinos: Discrimination, Dimensions of Difference, and Experience of Exclusion (John F. Dovidio, Agata Gluszek, Melissa-Sue John, Ruth Ditlmann, and Paul Lagunes).

IMPROVING THE EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES OF LATINO/A YOUTH.

Language Maintenance versus Language of Instruction: Spanish Reading Development among Latino and Latina Bilingual Learners (C. Patrick Proctor, Diane August, Mar´ıa Carlo, and Chris Barr).

Negotiating the American Dream: The Paradox of Aspirations and Achievement among Latino Students and Engagement between their Families and Schools (Nancy E. Hill and Kathryn Torres).

The Potential Roles of Self-Fulfilling Prophecies, Stigma Consciousness, and Stereotype Threat in Linking Latino/a Ethnicity and Educational Outcomes (Max Guyll, Stephanie Madon, Loreto Prieto, and Kyle C. Scherr).

Fitting In: The Roles of Social Acceptance and Discrimination in Shaping the Academic Motivations of Latino Youth in the U.S. Southeast (Krista M. Perreira, Andrew Fuligni, and Stephanie Potochnick).

CULTURAL ADAPTATIONS AND THE NEGOTIATIONS OF TRANSITIONS AMONG LATINO/A ADULTS.

Civic Spaces: Mexican Hometown Associations and Immigrant Participation (S. Karthick Ramakrishnan and Celia Viramontes).

Migration and Sexuality: A Comparison of Mexicans in Sending and Receiving Communities (Emilio A. Parrado and Chenoa A. Flippen).

Speaking on Behalf of Others: A Qualitative Study of the Perceptions and Feelings of Adolescent Latina Language Brokers (Christina M. Villanueva and Raymond Buriel).

CONCLUSIONS AND SOCIAL POLICY IMPLICATIONS.

The Research-Policy Gap on Latino Immigrant Issues: Impacts and New Directions on Social Policy: A Conclusion (Lourdes Gouveia).

Carey S. Ryan received her PhD from the University of Colorado at Boulder and then served as an Assistant and as an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. She is currently Professor of Psychology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Her research interests include stereotyping and intergroup relations, group processes, and program evaluation.

Juan F. Casas received his PhD from the University of Minnesota. He is currently an Associate Professor of Psychology and a Member of the Office of Latino/Latin American Studies (OLLAS) at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. His research interests include relational aggression and victimization, electronic aggression and victimization, and intergroup relations.