A Virtual Library on Latino Culture

The Latino American Experience illuminates the rich heritage and culture of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Guatemalan, Cuban, Dominican, Colombian, Ecuadorian, and other Latino groups in the United States.

Primary sources, student activities, and historical commentary facilitate the investigation of key events, leaders, and movements, from the civil rights era to 21st century movements related to voting access, political representation, and immigration reform.

Topic Centers Include:

  • Cultures Collide: 1490s–1520s
  • Founding the Spanish Empire: 1521–1598
  • Spanish Borderlands: 1598–1810
  • Struggles for Independence: 1810–1846
  • Remaking the U.S. Map: 1846–1865
  • Transitions: 1868–1900
  • Migrations and Community Formation: 1900–1919
  • Great Depression and Repatriation: 1920–1941
  • World War II: 1941–1948
  • Postwar Migrations: 1948–1959
  • Early Latino Civil Rights Movements: 1959–1965
  • Chicano Movement: 1966–1979
  • Conservative Tide: 1980–1992
  • Progress Amid the Backlash: 1992–2000
  • New Millennium: 2000–Present

Rich Contextual Reference

A collection of primary sources on the Chicano Movement feature vibrant art work in such media forms as murals, poster art, silkscreens, landmark documents capturing key moments in Chicano history, and a compelling body of Teatro Campesino play scripts, including the award-winning production, Zoot Suit.