Luis A. Vargas – författare

Since ancient times, the most important foods in the Mexican diet have been corn, beans, squash, tomatillos, and chile peppers. The role of these ingredients in Mexican food culture through the centuries is the basis of this volume. In addition, students and general readers will discover the panorama of food traditions in the context of European contact in the sixteenth century—when the Spaniards introduced new foodstuffs, adding variety to the diet—and the profound changes that have occurred in Mexican food culture since the 1950s. Recent improvements in technology, communications, and transportation, changing women's roles, and migration from country to city and to and from the United States have had a much greater impact.Their basic, traditional diet served the Mexican people well, providing them with wholesome nutrition and sufficient energy to live, work, and reproduce, as well as to maintain good health. Chapter 1 traces the origins of the Mexican diet and overviews food history from pre-Hispanic times to recent developments. The principal foods of Mexican cuisine and their origins are explained in the second chapter. Mexican women have always been responsible for everyday cooking, including the intensive preparation of grinding corn, peppers, and spices by hand, and a chapter is devoted to this work and a discussion of how traditional ways are supplemented today with modern conveniences and kitchen aids such as blenders and food processors. Surveys of class and regional differences in typical meals and cuisines present insight into the daily lives of a wide variety of Mexicans. The Mexican way of life is also illuminated in chapters on eating out, whether at the omnipresent street stalls or at fondas, and special occasions, including the main fiestas and rites of passage. A final chapter on diet and health discusses current health concerns, particularly malnutrition, anemia, diabetes, and obesity.

Working with Latino Youth offers counselors, teachers, social workers, therapists, and other professionals-no matter what their level of experience or cultural background-an accessible and practical guide for working effectively with Latino children and adolescents. This vital resource, which integrates development, culture, and psychological intervention, helps meet the challenge of addressing an array of culturally specific problems such as assimilation, discrimination, scholastic failure, pregnancy, substance abuse, and delinquency. The authors, Joan D. Koss-Chioino and Luis A. Vargas, present a dynamic new model for working with Latino youth that considers the individual within the context of their families, their communities, and their culture. "At a time when America and its professionals increasingly need to be responsive to the diversity of cultures, Koss-Chioino and Vargas have authored a comprehensive overview of Latino youth, who are rich in their own diversity. This highly readable book provides a wealth of information and examples about a 'new ethnic majority' to assist practitioners in their approaches not only with Latino children and families, but also with applicability to a variety of cultures through the contextual model these authors describe."—Michael C. Roberts, professor and director, Clinical Child Psychology Program, University of Kansas