This dissertation is a history of segregation and exclusion experienced by non-whites in California public schools. The status of minorities in the schools and the struggle against discrimination are explored, in part, through the study of seven court cases which comprise the core of the dissertation. Each case deals with a particular non-white group's access to public education at a specific period in California history. The aim of the study was to use court conflicts to illuminate the underlying social and educational realities experienced by non-whites in California public schools. The educational status of blacks, Mexicans, Chinese, Japanese and Indians is covered in some detail while that of the Filipino is mentioned briefly. The seven court cases discussed are: 1) Ward v. Flood (1874), 2) Tape v. Hurley (1885), 3) Aoki v. Deane (1906), 4) Piper v. Big Pine (1924), 5) Mendez v. Westminister (1946), 6) Jackson v. Pasadena (1963) and 7) Spangler v. Pasadena (1970). (Author/AM)