School environments dominated by high socioeconomic status levels have a negative effect on ethnic self-attitudes and on ethnic salience in self-identification, but Anglo-dominated school environments alone do not. In a test of the effect of different levels of Anglo dominance in schools on the ethnic self-attitudes of Hispanic elementary students, researchers used data from case studies of 10 desegregated California schools with varying Anglo and Hispanic enrollments. Teacher ratings indicated the schools' socioeconomic level and parents answered questionnaires regarding individual socioeconomic levels. Sampled students responded to two ethnic attitude measures: ethnic salience in self-description and an evaluation of ethnic self-attitudes. Correlation analysis of results indicated that higher percentages of Anglos and higher socioeconomic levels in the schools lowered the level of favorable ethnic self-attitudes. Regression analysis revealed a different pattern, indicating that although a higher percentage of Anglos in school caused more salient ethnicity among Hispanic students, school and individual socioeconomic levels had the opposite effect. That is, individual socioeconomic level could either insulate a student from or enhance the negative effect of high socioeconomic levels in schools. The results have implications for school desegregation and for cultural assimilation policy. (SB)