Based on comparative data from two 1973 studies, this study examined whether or not the occupational and educational status projections and language usage patterns of Mexican American teenagers living in a large metropolitan area differed from those of teenagers living in isolated, relatively small nonmetropolitan places. The two separate, but similar, studies were conducted in South Texas with nonmetropolitan youth (ST-73) and in El Paso with metropolitan youth (EP-73) using identical questionnaires. The ST-73 study obtained data from 379 Mexican American sophomores in 5 high schools located in Dimmit, Starr, and Zapata Counties. The EP-73 study obtained data from 300 Chicano sophomores and seniors in 12 schools in the El Paso-Ysleta school districts. These studies analyzed the respondent's aspiration and expectation levels, aspiration intensity, expectation certainty, speaking patterns (with parents at home and with close friends in the neighborhood, school, outside of class), and use of mass media. Some findings were: metropolitan Chicano youth had slightly higher educational and occupational aspirations; South Texas girls were the least certain of their occupational expectations; metropolitan boys used Spanish less and English more with parents; and nonmetropolitan males more frequently maintained a strong desire for their educational aspirations. (NQ)