Despite the community college's historical commitment to the availability of comprehensive education for all citizens, Hispanics have yet to receive a fair share of programs and services. General demographic data, as well as regional and national longitudinal studies, reveal that Hispanic participation and success in all levels of the educational process are not proportional to the ratio of Hispanics in the total population. In addition, the number of Hispanic professionals in higher education has never come close to being proportional to the number of Hispanics in the total population or to the number of Hispanic students. Even in community colleges, which have traditionally enrolled the majority of Hispanic students, the proportion of Hispanics who graduate is significantly less than that of Whites or Blacks. To ameliorate this situation, community colleges should rely less upon traditional English-language instruction and provide more bilingual programs. These programs would insure a much needed boost in enrollment, and, at the same time, help the colleges meet the promise of equal educational opportunity. In addition to providing a brief history of the community colleges since 1901 and a discussion of the philosophical bases, functions, and purposes of the community college, the report contains numerous data tables presenting demographic data about Hispanics and other ethnic and racial groups in the United States. (JP)