From the beginning of their incorporation into the United States by territorial conquest and purchase during the nineteenth century, Hispanics have struggled to protect their land, their culture, and their heritage while at the same time claiming their rights to American citizenship. Treaties, as well as the Constitution have always promised Hispanics their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The story of the struggle of Hispanics to make these rights a reality, however, in the United States has not been told sufficiently or often enough.
Because the accomplishments of Hispanics in their struggle for civil rights have been significant, though they remain largely unknown, Arte Público Press has commissioned a landmark series of books to address the continuing, appalling lack of information accessible to students and the general public. The Hispanic Civil Rights Series seeks to document the many contributions to public policy, education and community affairs by Hispanic civil rights organizations and their leaders. Highlighted in the series are the topics of women's activism, immigration reform, educational equity, the participation of citizens in a democratic society, civic culture and racial/cultural relations. Through the publication of these timely books, this truly American story of struggle to safeguard the rights that all Americans hold dear will be made a part of our national narrative and brought to the forefront of our national memory.
The Hispanic Civil Rights Series is made possible with the generous financial
support of The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, The California Wellness Foundation,
The Carnegie Corporation, The James Irvine Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation,
and The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
Hispanic Civil Rights Series