Fighting for American Values

Following World War II, Latinos, like other Americans, sought the American Dream. The fifth installment in this important new series tracks the struggles and progress of Latino Americans through the mid-1980s. As the U.S. economy grew, so did the need for cheap labor. In many parts of the United States, Latino Americans and Latino immigrants provided the solution to this need. Latinos also joined other groups in the fight for civil rights, seeking both political and economic equality with their Anglo counterparts. The result of these struggles was a new sense of Latino-American identity.