Prior to entering a U.S. bilingual teacher preparation program, Mexican teachers ("normalistas") were assessed regarding their ethnic identity, self-conceptualization, and teaching efficacy. The findings indicated that normalistas' ethnic identity is tied to country of origin, rather than their adopted country. Five salient conceptualization factors were identified: personality ("caracter"), interests, occupational activity, interpersonal style, and moral worth. The multivariate regression analysis of self-concept and teacher efficacy constructs showed that the participants' view of self, specifically character, and moral worth may affect their teacher efficacy (p [is less than] .05). Researchers suggest that teacher preparation programs focus on the development and enhancement of normalistas' sociopolitical awareness to ensure understanding of U.S. language minority students' educational needs.