The purpose of this historical case study was to add to the literature an analysis of the landmark legal case of Jose Cisneros v. CCISD. The outcome of this case established Mexican Americans as an ethnic minority and set the legal precedent that the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Topeka ruling could be extended to other minorities beyond African Americans. This case served as the catalyst for school desegregation for Mexican American and African American students in the Corpus Christi Independent School District. This study endeavored to examine and describe the court case and its eventual outcomes, including the creation and implementation of a court-mandated busing program, the cessation of this program, and the creation of the Corpus Christi Independent School District's Special Emphasis Schools. Additionally, due to the historic nature of this case, this study connects the legal strategy used by the plaintiffs and the ruling of the court to the Chicano Civil Rights and the greater Civil Rights movement. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]