The relationship of social work practice and education to minority groups is discussed in six symposium papers. The first paper, by Armado Morales, discusses acts of commission and omission by the mental health delivery systems that reflect racism and oppressive attitudes toward Mexican Americans. The relevance and applicability of present approaches are questioned. The paper by E. Daniel Edwards and Margie E. Edwards describes the culture, lifestyle and values of American Indians. It provides historical accounts of American Indian policies and the effects of such policies on the American Indian; approaches to the historical understanding of the American Indian and how this could enhance social work practice are also discussed. Another paper, by Wilhemina Perry and Antonia Pantoja, points out that efforts to create social reform must inevitably include the review of theoretical paradigms. The black family and black culture are described as adaptations to the social circumstances surrounding them in the paper by Leon W. Chestang that analyzed black culture as a coping strategy. Miguel Montiel's paper reveiws the predominant theoretical trends of research in ethnic communities of color in recent years and speculates on its possible consequences, reviews various alternative research strategies that have challenged the view of minorities as "outsiders," and attempts to develop an appropriate role for research. The last paper, by Barbara Solomon, suggests two concepts that can serve as a basis for an overall theory of social work practice that is inclusive of all minorities. (SPG)