Most writing about Mexican Americans deals only with the twentieth century. This book provides the much-needed historical perspective that is essential for a full understanding of the present. Dozens of selections from firsthand accounts, introduced by David J Weber's essays, capture the essence of the Mexican-American experience in the Southwest from the time the first pioneers came north from Mexico. PRAISE FOR THE FIRST EDITION: The first edition was selected as a Choice 'Outstanding Academic Book of the Year' and received the following accolades: "An excellent job of illuminating the early historical experience of Mexicans living in the United States..." -- Western Historical Quarterly. "Weber... has done more than compile a first-rate anthology... he has done much to put the selected accounts into a meaningful historical framework. This coupled with excellent documentary choices and extensive notes makes it the single best volume for understanding the Mexican American experience in the nineteenth-century Southwest..." -- Choice.