In the wake of the 1974 decision handed down by the Supreme Court in Lau v Nichols, there has been a burgeoning of training programs, workshops, conferences, and graduate programs in bilingual bicultural education. This paper examines some of the sources of these developments and attempts to put theory and practice into historical, cultural, and educational perspective. With this aim in mind, three points are examined: (1) factors underlying the need for bilingual bicultural education; (2) historical factors leading to Lau; and (3) some judicial and legislative bases for bilingual bicultural education. It concludes that given the extent of legislative, judiciary, and executive support on the federal and state levels, it is likely that bilingual education programs will continue to grow in size and numbers. However, if the field is to grow in terms of strength, theoreticians and practitioners must analyze the real and potential pitfalls of bilingual education. (Author/RLV)