The Mexican Museum of San Francisco was founded in 1975 by artist Peter Rodriguez to "foster the exhibition, conservation, and dissemination of Mexican and Chicano art and culture for all peoples." Its holdings include some 14,000 objects with a historical range extending from pre-conquest Mexico to contemporary Mexican American and Latino communities in the United States.

The Chicano Studies Research Center’s collection includes a broad selection of the museum's administrative papers and related materials. Karen Mary Davalos draws on these documents to trace the origins of the museum and explore how its mission has been shaped by its visionary artist-founder, local art collectors and patrons, Mexican art and culture, and the Chicano movement. A detailed finding aid and a selected bibliography complete the volume.