Of the 10 million Mexican Americans in the United States, 90% reside in the southwestern states of California, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Historically, the acquisition of Spanish speaking citizens by the U.S. has resulted from military conquest. Yet, Mexican Americans did not have a significant political voice until the high fatality rate of Mexican Americans in World War II prompted the formation of the American G.I. Forum and the League of United Latin American Citizens. Both groups have served as vehicles for expression of numerous Mexican American concerns and issues. The economic, social and educational levels of this population are "shockingly" low. Most Chicanos do not have the training and background to obtain good paying jobs. Thus the Chicanos' economic level is a reflector of the educational structure. Social discrimination, stemming from an ethnocentric attitude, prevails despite legal sanctions guaranteeing equal opportunities. The Chicano movement is slowly changing this; but it is a slow process. Both the Catholic and Protestant churches are also beginning to take a larger role in "El Movimiento". A new religious renaissance is spreading, emphasizing self-assertion, indigenous leadership and a pluralistic spirit of existence. The Chicano's philosophy of education is currently being re-defined to emphasize internal examination of one's self-worth and to provide a specific set of values which provide orientation toward the individual viewed as independent of external measures. (Author/NQ)