Chicanos have won many legal battles which have resulted in school desegregation and the establishment of bilingual education programs. Although desegregation and bilingual programs are each expected to equalize educational opportunities, the two approaches differ on how children are grouped and managed. Desegregation aims to integrate groups, whereas bilingual programs often separate students of limited English proficiency for language instruction. Although results are mixed, some studies have found important advantageous effects resulting from both desegregation and bilingual programs. Nevertheless, the courts have tended to hand down desegregation remedies which require the dispersal of national-origin students and which undermine bilingual education programs. This has often resulted in adverse effects on Chicano students and the community as a whole, and sometimes further polarized Chicano-Black relations. Survey data reveal that Chicanos support both approaches, but they are uncertain about the effectiveness of desegregation. Methods are proposed which can combine desegregation and bilingual education, whether or not a "critical mass" is maintained after Chicano student dispersal. Among these methods are that federal agencies work harder to clarify and enforce their desegregation and bilingual education guidelines and that the practical uses of survey research not be overlooked in the formation of local level educational policy. (Author/NQA)