Observation of a kinship and social network among Mexican Americans in a Chicago neighborhood, part of an ethnographic study, revealed a pattern of self-education in literacy among the men in the group who came from one rancho, while the literate men from another rancho were primarily school-educated. Economic forces caused one group to attend school less consistently. While the self-educated men learned letters from someone else, they pursued literacy independently in a distinct social context. The process by which the men learned to read and spell words was remarkably similar to a process used by members of the working class in 17th century rural England; that is, informally and with the help of friends who themselves were not very literate. Observations revealed information about aspects of the process of literacy learning, the social nature of learning, and significant features of the setting providing the motivation for literacy learning. The Mexican men described the process as "lyrical" learning, accomplished on one's own, not always with a teacher, but purely with spoken language. Literacy was attained primarily to communicate and maintain traditionally close ties with family and friends in the home country. The men described the emotional support they received from the friends who taught them to write, and the trust between them. (MSE) (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse on Literacy Education)