This book traces the changes in the Chicano perception of the Southwest from the earliest times to the present, focusing on the 135 years since the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. By means of wide-ranging research in a variety of primary sources, the author has constructed a fascinating intellectual history of Chicano self-perception, quoting and analysing documents ranging from Aztec chronicles to Spanish-language newspapers, from studies in Chicano folklore to the speeches of political spokesmen.