Author Harriett Denise Joseph relates biographies of eleven notable Mexicanos and Tejanos, beginning with Santa Anna and the impact his actions had on Texas. She discusses the myriad contributions of Erasmo and Juan Seguín to Texas history, as well as the factors that led a hero of the Texas Revolution (Juan) to be viewed later as a traitor by his fellow Texans. Admired by many but despised by others, folk hero Juan Nepomuceno Cortina is one of the most controversial figures in the history of nineteenth-century South Texas. Preservationist and historian Adina De Zavala fought to save part of the Alamo site and other significant structures. Labor activist Emma Tenayuca’s youth, passion, courage, and sacrifice merit attention for her efforts to help the working class. Joseph reveals the individual and collective accomplishments of a powerhouse couple, bilingual educator Edmundo Mireles and folklorist-author Jovita González. She recognizes the military and personal battles of Medal of Honor recipient Raul “Roy” Benavidez. Irma Rangel, the first Latina to serve in the Texas House of Representatives, is known for the many “firsts” she achieved during her lifetime. Finally, we read about Selena’s life and career, as well as her tragic death and her continuing …

Interview with Laura Gonzalez, Mexican-born immigrant to the U.S., immigrant rights activist, and professor of anthropology with expertise in immigrant communities from Guanajuato, Mexico. She discusses her childhood and education in Mexico city; the decision to pursue a career in the field of political anthropology; decision to open the Oak Cliff Center for Community Studies; work with Camposanto del Cemento Grande and other community organizations in Dallas; work to increase Hispanics’ access to college; and involvement in immigrant rights movements and local Mexican American political groups. This interview has Spanish and English translations.