By the end of this chapter, students should be able to:
- Describe the racial/ethnic composition of the United States, and know which adolescents are most likely to be poor.
- Be familiar with the four limitations imposed by low socio-economic status.
- Know what is meant by the “cycle of poverty”.
- Enumerate the many differences between middle-class and impoverished adolescents’ experiences.
- Understand the ways in which the situation of African-Americans has improved over the past twenty years, and know the inequalities they still face.
- Describe the strengths and characteristics of African-American families.
- Describe the single most significant barrier to Latino economic advancement.
- Compare and contrast the cultural values of Mexican Americans and Puerto Rican Americans.
- Explain the stresses and issues faced by Native-American adolescents.
- Compare the family structure of Asian-Americans in general and Chinese-Americans more specifically to that of other ethnic groups.
- Be aware of the special strains experienced by adolescents whose families are recent immigrants to the United States.
