The area of ethnic market segmentation has received little attention from practitioners or academicians of marketing since most minority groups immigrating to the United States have gradually assimilated the cultural norms and values, and thus the market behavior, of the American society as a whole. Preliminary investigation, however, indicates that Mexican Americans are an exception. To discover whether Mexican Americans represent a true ethnic market segment of economic significance, this study examines and analyzes several aspects. First, to determine whether Mexican Americans represent a true ethnic segment, the following aspects of their cultural norms, perceptions, and values are investigated: their distinct and unique identity, the continuity and consistency of their adoption and use, and the degree of their influence. Second, to determine whether Mexican Americans constitute an ethnic market segment, grocery shopping behavioral patterns are examined. Third, to ascertain whether Mexican Americans represent a substantial ethnic market segment in terms of the number of consumers and the amount of money spent, relevant demographic and socioeconomic characteristics are presented and analyzed. Fourth, the impact of an economically significant ethnic market segment on marketers and marketing institutions is assessed. Due to the nature of this study, emphasis is placed on the collection …

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine and analyze the banker's acceptance and the bankers' acceptance market. A banker's acceptance is a money market instrument used to finance the export, import, movement, and storage of goods; it begins as a trade draft, and it is termed accepted when a commercial bank guarantees payment. The banker's acceptance represents an historical evolution of the medieval bill of exchange. The banker's acceptance as we know it today first appeared in England in the 1820s. The birth of the banker's acceptance in the United States occurred with passage of the Federal Reserve Act in 1913. A survey was made of the twenty largest U.S. commercial banks in order to determine certain perceived characteristics of the banker's acceptance and the bankers' acceptance market. As a result of the survey, a new money market instrument is suggested. The new money market instrument is to be called a Banker's Acceptance Participation Certificate.