As the fastest-growing ethnic minority in the United States, Hispanic Americans have gained attention as a new and major force in our society. However, Hispanic-American men and women have always figured prominently in our history, as this series thoroughly and thoughtfully attests. The subjects in this first set are drawn from the 1940s through the 1970s, and their achievements are presented in the context of essential historical background and concepts. Unique sidebar features make revealing connections between the subject-at-hand and his or her contemporaries.