Many Americans are taught that the first people to "settle" North America were the English colonists in Jamestown, Virginia. On the contrary, Hispanic peoples developed a culture and civilization in North America that predated the English by centuries. In this controversial and lively book, Nicolas Kanellos chronicles and analyzes the changing images of Hispanics in the United States from the age of exploration and conquest to the present, reclaiming the Hispanic heritage in American culture. Part history, part manifesto, this book challenges our notions of the Hispanic peoples, giving us a perspective into the great contributions this group has made to American society.