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This introduction to the papers assembled in "Children of La Frontera" provides background information on Mexican immigration to the United States, Mexican migrant workers and their children, and implications for schools. It discusses economic forces in both Mexico and the United States that push and pull Mexicans to "El Norte"; the economic impact of the migrant agricultural workforce, including its contribution to an inexpensive food supply, subsidizing of California agriculture, payment of taxes, and underutilization of social services; the view of immigrants and migrant workers as economic and cultural threat; efforts to deny education to the children of undocumented immigrants; assimilationist approaches to education in U.S. schools versus bilingual, bicultural approaches; international collaborations in education at the national and state level; the involvement of migrant children in agricultural labor; factors in the migrant life style that affect educational performance; and the challenges of providing a good education to children who speak English as a second language. Contains 28 references. (SV)