ABSTRACT
Hispanics have a long history in the United States, predating many later immigrants, and, as such, they have been part of the fabric of our country for centuries. Today, however, we are seeing a large increase in the Hispanic immigrant population. According to a recent U.S. Census Bureau report, approximately one out of eight people in the United States is Hispanic (Terrien & Ramı´rez, 2000). Moreover, Americans of Hispanic origin are the fastest growing ethnic group in public schools (Sable & Stennett, 1998). In Chicago alone, one third of the school population is Hispanic.
