THE BACKGROUND AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SPANISH SPEAKING PEOPLE OF THE SOUTHWEST ARE DISCUSSED. THE SPANISH SPEAKING PEOPLE ARE A HETEROGENEOUS GROUP COMPOSED OF SPANISH-AMERICANS, MEXICAN-AMERICANS, AND MEXICANS INTERMIXED WITH INDIANS. THE SOUTHWEST WAS SETTLED BY THEM DURING THE 16TH AND 17TH CENTURIES. HERE THEY WERE ISOLATED UNTIL THE 19TH CENTURY. A FOLK CULTURE WAS DEVELOPED WHICH IS NOW BEING INFLUENCED BY ANGLO CULTURAL ELEMENTS OF EDUCATION, MOBILITY, AND URBANIZATION. SPANISH-SPEAKING PEOPLE ARE DIVIDED INTO STRONG CLASS OR STATUS SYSTEMS. THESE RANGE FROM VILLAGE LOWER CLASS IN WHICH NO OR LITTLE ENGLISH IS SPOKEN TO UPPER CLASS IN WHICH BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH ARE SPOKEN. ACCULTURATION HAS BEEN SLOW BECAUSE OF VOLUNTARY AND IMPOSED SEGREGATION AND BECAUSE OF CULTURAL REINFORCEMENT FROM MEXICO. A SIMPLE TECHNOLOGY, SUBSISTENCE ECONOMY WITH LITTLE IMPORTANCE PLACED UPON WORK, SLOW RATE OF SOCIAL CHANGE, SMALL POPULATION AGGREGATIONS, LIMITED EDUCATION, FAMILY SOLIDARITY, ORIENTATION TOWARD THE PRESENT TIME RATHER THAN THE FUTURE, AND INDIVIDUALISM FOR PERSONAL WORTH RATHER THAN COMPETITIVE GAINS CHARACTERIZE THESE PEOPLE.