This recording is part 1 of 2 of an interview with Joe J. Bernal on February 19, 1979. Former Senator Joe J. Bernal recalls how the Texas Education Agency and Dr. J. W. Edgar responded to bilingual education legislation. To Bernal, Dr. Edgar in his mind was progressive enough to do things that were new and found him to be agreeable to bilingual education. However, Dr. Edgar was cautious to move into any issues that lacked legal precedence. Bernal also points out that the law against speaking another language in classrooms was interpreted to mean that no one can speak a language other than English in a school when it actually forbade instruction in languages other than English. However, to Bernal, bilingual education was not so much a language issue as it was elevating one's mother tongue and legitimizing one's status.