CORRELATES OF RECOGNITION AND APPROVAL OF ETHNIC ORGANIZATIONS IN A NON REINFORCING ENVIRONMENT: MEXICAN AMERICANS IN OMAHA, NEBRASKA

Participation of Mexican Americans in ethnic organizations has typically been quite low. This conclusion is based almost exclusively, however, on studies of Mexican Americans in the Southwest. This analysis examines levels of recognition, approval, and membership in a number of Chicano organizations among a sample of Mexican Americans in Omaha, Nebraska. It also explores the relationship between recognition and approval and a number of social characteristics. The study adds to our knowledge by providing data on Mexican Americans outside the Southwest and by examining in a systematic way a number of the explanations frequently offered to account for low levels of group participation.