The New Americans describes the life of immigrants and transnationals in the Lower Rio Grande Valley where poverty is the "training ground" for people's resilience and capacity to adapt to different social and economic settings. At the heart of their ability to survive and succeed is their ability to form a strong personal and ethnic identity that allows them to accommodate new life styles without losing their self-respect. Trueba shows how the resilience and diverse cultural experiences of transnationals and immigrants enable them to succeed in school and in their work and communities. Trueba articulates Paulo Freire's critical pedagogy with the sociohistorical school of psychology led by Vygotsky, theories that are complementary and enhanced by the analysis of instructional activities. The book is enriched by exercises suggested at the end of each chapter, by a glossary, and by questions for final examinations that permit instructors to measure student proficiency.