Amado M. Padilla
- Professor of Psychological Studies in Education
- Faculty Advisor , California Foreign Language Project
- Faculty Advisor, Bay Area Foreign Language Project
"For members of many ethnic groups with their own language, the language
itself comes to be symbolic of the group's vitality and place in the world.
For instance, we use the term "mother tongue" to signify the first language
learned and or the language of the home. There is perhaps no greater way to
express the importance that language has to a group than to equate it to the
affection that we give our mothers! In other words, language, like a mother,
provides the nurturance and stability so necessary for healthy development
and fulfillment. Language gives meaning to an ethnic group because it
connects the present with the past through its oral traditions, literary
forms, music, history, and customs. In essence, it is frequently language
which gives an ethnic group its distinctiveness."
- From my chapter "Psychology" in The Handbook of Language and
Ethnic Identity
Autobiography
I received my Ph.D. in experimental psychology from the
University of New Mexico. I have taught at the State University of New York at Potsdam,
University of California at Santa Barbara, UCLA, and Stanford University. Over the years I've written extensively on a wide variety of topics with approximately 180
journal articles and book chapters. Some of my books include: Crossing
Cultures in Therapy [with Elaine LeVine] (1980), Acculturation: Theory, Models and Some New Findings (1980), Chicano Ethnicity [with Susan Keefe] (1987),
Invitation to Psychology [with John Houston, C. Hammen, and Helen Bee] (1989), Foreign Language Education [with Hal Fairchild and Concepcion Valadez] (1991), Bilingual
Education [with hal Fairchild and Concepcion Valadez] (1991), and Hispanic Psychology (1995). In 1979 I also became the founding editor
of the Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences (Sage Publications) now in its
27th year of publication. Currently, I am at work on a book on the use of
quantitative research methods in multicultural contexts.
I have received a number of honors including a Distinguished Scholar Award
from the American Education Research Association (1987), the Paul Pimsleur
Award for Research in Foreign Language Education from the American Council of
Teachers of Foreign Languages (1989), Distinguished Contribution Through
Research Award from Division 45 of the American Psychological Association
(1990), Lifetime Achievement Award also from Division 45 of the APA (1996),
and the 6th Annual Latino Behavioral Health Institute Award for Leadership,
Innovation, and Dedication to the Advancement of Latino Behavioral Health
Research (2000). I hold Fellow status in the American Psychological Association and the American
Association for the Advancement of Science.
I have always tried to combine my academic interests with local school and community service. For instance, when my son was in high I served two terms as a high school PTA president. In addition,
I was elected to the Board of Trustees of the Palo Alto Unified School
District and served a four-year term. Over the years, I have served on numerous local,
regional, and national boards dedicated to improving the lives of children
and youth.
For recreation and leisure, I enjoy cooking, long runs, bike rides, and hikes with my friend and
wife, Deborah, who is a tenth grade history teacher. We have three
children: Diego now a college sophomore, Daphne a senior in high school, and
Rocky who is in the eighth grade.
Educational Background
- B.A., (Psychology) New Mexico Highlands University
- M.S., (Experimental Psychology) Oklahoma State University
- Ph.D., (Experimental Psychology) University of New Mexico
Professional Experience
- Assistant Professor of Psychology, State University of New York
- Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of California, Santa
Barbara
- Associate Professor to Full Professor of Psychology, University of
California, Los Angeles
- Professor of Psychological Studies in Education, Stanford University
Current Research Projects
Some of my current projects include:
- Development of models of psychological acculturation that
incorporate social cognition and social identity theory.
- Academic resilience of students
from backgrounds that place them at-risk for educational underachievement.
- Quantitative research methods for studying culturally
diverse populations in multicultural contexts such as schools, social
service clinics, ethnic communities, etc.
- Acquisition and use of bilingual competencies by children and adolescents.
- Professional development programs for foreign language
teachers.
Courses Taught
- Education of Immigrant Students: Psychological Perspectives (Ed
177/277)
- Adolescent Development and Learning (Ed 240)
- Emerging Issues in Child and Adolescent Development (Ed 239)
- Psychological and Educational Resilience Among Children and Youth (Ed
256)
- Second Language Acquisition Research (Ed 286B)
- Culture, Class and Educational Opportunity (Ed 102)
Current Syllabus:
Education
277
Selected Publications
- Amado M. Padilla and Noah Borrero
(in press). "Effects of Acculturative Stress on the Hispanic Family." In Paul
T. P. Wong and Lilian C.J. Wong (Eds.) Handbook of Multicultural
Perspectives on Stress and Coping. New York: Kluwer Academic
Press.
- Amado M. Padilla (in press). "Developmental processes related to intergenerational transmission of culture: Growing up with two cultures in the United States." In U. Schonpflug (Ed.), Perspectives on Cultural Transmission. Cambridge: Oxford University Press.
- Amado M. Padilla (2004). "Quantitative Methods in
Multicultural Education Research." In J. Banks & C. Banks (Eds.),
Handbook of Research in Multicultural Education. San Francisco: Josey-Bass.
- Amado M. Padilla & William Perez (2003). "Acculturation, Social Identity, and
Social Cognition: A new perspective." Hispanic Journal of
Behavioral Sciences, 25,35-55.
- Ana M. Sierra & Amado M. Padilla (2003). "United States' Hegemony and Purposes
for Learning English in Mexico" (2003) In P. Ryan and R. Terborg (Eds.),
Language Issues of Inequality. Mexico D. F.: University of Mexico Press.
- Albert Lozano, Hyekyung Sung, Amado Padilla, & Duarte Silva (2002). "Professional
Development for Language Teachers in California." Foreign
Language Annals, 35, 161-170.
- Amado M. Padilla & Rosemary Gonzalez (2001). "Academic Performance of Immigrant and
U.S. born Mexican Heritage Students. " American Educational
Research Journal, 38, 727-742.
- Amado M. Padilla (2002). "Rewarding Workplace Bilingualism." Language Magazine, 2, 21-23.
- Nolan Cabrera & Amado M. Padilla (2004). "Entering and Succeeding in the
'Culture of College': The Story of Two Mexican Heritage Students." Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 26, 152-169.
Current Activities
- Principal Investigator, California Foreign Language Project
- Member, Board of Directors, Adolescent Counseling Services
- Member, Board of Directors, East Palo Alto Charter School
- Member, Board of Directors, EdSource
- Founding Editor, Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences