Experts and concerned citizens from New York to California met in an effort to understand and confront the challenges facing Spanish-speaking people in their struggle for education and for finding their proper place in American society. The problems and character of the Spanish-speaking Americans, as reported in this symposium, do not fit common stereotypes. The people are harrassed by poverty, unemployment (at a normal rate two to three times the national level), disease, communication barriers, educational barriers, cultural barriers, and beaurocratic barriers. The problems with which Spanish-speaking Americans are doing battle are not theirs; they are the problems of the nation. When the solutions are finally found, they will be a major contribution to the world society where minority-ism is nearly a universal phenomenon. Major addresses focus on the topics of ethnic cohesion vs. assimilation, the power of education vs. the power of government, and Utah's efforts with Chicano problems. Workshop discussions examine definitions and label acceptance of the term Chicano; law enforcement (police-minority relations, responsibilities of the legal system, and political influence); health and medical services; Chicano studies curriculum in higher education; barriers in employment, education and government; characteristics and significance of Mexican-American literature; and perspectives on bilingual and bicultural education. (Author/NEC)