Based on findings from a sample of nearly 1,100 Puerto Ricans living in the New York area, this book posits that adhering to traditional cultural values (for example, the family) has the socially desirable consequence of discouraging such deviant behaviors as substance abuse. The authors conclude that promoting specific values will not prevent certain individual and social ills; rather, promoting a `sense of tradition' itself is needed.

Introduction. 1. The Puerto Ricans. 2. Coming to the Mainland and the Acculturation Process. 3. Traditional Family Values. 4. Substance Use Outcomes. 5. Drinking Attitudes and Beliefs. 6. Impact of Acculturation and Traditionalism. 7. A Typology of Integration. 8. Ethnotherapy Implications and Conclusions. References. Index.