Leaders of the Mexican American Generation
Leaders of the Mexican American Generation
Biographical Essays
Leaders of the Mexican American Generation explores the lives of a wide range of influential members of the US Mexican American community between 1920 and 1965 who paved the way for major changes in their social, political, and economic status within the United States.
Including feminist Alice Dickerson Montemayor, to San Antonio attorney Gus García, and labor activist and scholar Ernesto Galarza, the subjects of these biographies include some of the most prominent idealists and actors of the time. Whether debating in a court of law, writing for a major newspaper, producing reports for governmental agencies, organizing workers, holding public office, or otherwise shaping space for the Mexican American identity in the United States, these subjects embody the core values and diversity of their generation.
More than a chronicle of personalities who left their mark on Mexican American history, Leaders of the Mexican American Generation cements these individuals as major players in the history of activism and civil rights in the United States. It is a rich collection of historical biographies that will enlighten and enliven our understanding of Mexican American history.
'[Leaders of the Mexican American Generation] is a valuable historiographical contribution that encourages additional research into the subject.'
—Southwestern Historical Quarterly
'Drawing together an impressive cadre of scholars exploring the interplay between individuals’ personal biographies and the larger currents of U.S. society, the contributors to the anthology Leaders of the Mexican American Generation offer new insight into the multidimensional histories of a range of actors influential on the national stage between 1920 and 1960. Attention to notable individuals, major political currents of the time, and biographical method make the book of value to both a general audience and students of Mexican American history.'
—Western Historical Quarterly
'Leaders of the Mexican American Generation provides a strong intellectual history of the Mexican American generation. The collection makes a compelling argument for the use of the biography as an effective research tool. . . . This volume also challenges us not only to reexamine the role of the Mexican American generation but also to better understand the social, economic, and political climate in which this cohort lived and how this influenced their stand against injustice and oppression.'
—Journal of American History
'[A] sympathetic but rigorous collection of individual histories that could be used to introduce these issues to students, especially at the undergraduate level.'
—Journal of Southern History
Anthony Quiroz is professor of history at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. He is the author of Claiming Citizenship: Mexican Americans in Victoria, Texas.
