The thesis briefly analyzed the laws of the State of Texas and of the United States which directly affect the education of Texas Mexican Americans. The legal-political history of "Chicano" education in Texas was traced from the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 to August 1971. The educational "problems" of Mexican Americans were examined in light of their solutions as sought through legislative and judicial action. Most of the legislation discussed dealt with the use of the Spanish language in the schools and with bilingual education. Data were gathered from: (1) legal documents obtained from various court and law clerks and (2) parliamentary journals for both the House and Senate. Eight court cases involving Mexican American students and Texas schools were discussed: (1) Salvatierra vs the Del Rio Independent School District (I.S.D.); (2) Delgado Case; (3) Hernandez vs Driscoll Consolidated; (4) Pete Hernandez vs the State of Texas; (5) Ross vs Houston I.S.D.; (6) Perez vs Sonora I.S.D.; (7) Cisneros vs Corpus Christi I.S.D.; and (8) Good Neighbor Policy vs Class Apart Theory. Some of the topics discussed are: segregation, educational politics, private and parochial schools, compulsory school attendance, the Federal government's role, the economy, and adult education. (NQ)