A synthesis of literature on the Mexican Americans of Texas and the Southwest provides an overview of the general research findings. The volume is intended as a resource for teachers and others who work with Mexican American children. Part 1 is a concise history of the population. Part II presents a synthesis of current literature on the social characteristics of the Mexican American. Part III identifies problems in the education of Spanish-speaking children. Part IV presents a rationale for early childhood education programs as a partial solution to the problems of educating a disadvantaged population. Part V gives brief descriptions of a number of current projects dealing with the educationally disadvantaged sector of the Mexican American population. Part VI is a summary of the major ideas presented in each section. The appendices contain an extensive bibliography for each of the first 5 sections. (DK)