The hypothesis that familism has an adverse effect on partici pation in government work-training programs was tested with a sample of 600 elderly (55 and over) Chicano respondents in three communities of varying size in a Southern California coun ty. Results show that respondents were highly familistic, were generally not familiar with government programs, and had a low level of program participation. As hypothesized, those who were most familistic tended to have less knowledge and a lower level of participation. Familism was also associated with placing greater importance to programs that (a) have Spanish-speaking personnel, (b) have Chicano staff, (c) are located in the local community, and (d) provide transportation for participants. These findings lend support to the contention that familism is a critical dimension of Chicano culture.
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