It is a book for posterity. It is a pronouncement of pride in the Mexican and Mexican American Indigena spirit of resistance to subjugation and determination to continue the fight against racist, suppressive social and political forces. The author documents this social struggle through recollections imparted by the elders of his family, los viejitos. Their stories invoke centuries long resistance to colonization. They depict the people's struggle for survival amid social upheaval during the Mexican Revolution. Through extensive genealogical research, the writer traces his maternal and paternal ancestors migration to Texas and shares elders accounts of survival in a racist, violent social environment. This book documents the Mexican American community's intense activism and political action in Houston from the 1970s to the early 2000s. The grassroots community driven campaigns voiced urgent issues, the alarming Latino dropout rate, education inequities, a call for ethnic studies, the demand for fair representation in government and the media, and protests and outrage against police brutality and the murder of Jose Campos Torres by Houston police officers. The author was at the forefront, alongside other notable leaders, pushing for change.
