Chicano Odyssey

There is a group of Americans with deep roots in Mexico, Spain, the United States and medieval Europe reaching back a thousand years and including cultures from throughout the world. These "Chicanos," or Mexican American Indo-Hispanic mestizos, are a mix of native peoples and the Conquistadors. Michael Mares traces his family lineage from the mid-twentieth century barrio of Old Town, Albuquerque, New Mexico to the ancient lands of pre-Spain. His ancestors were the conquerors and the conquered, people who were in America centuries before White culture arrived on the Mayflower. Chicanos have been war heroes, business executives, politicians, entertainers, social activists, authors, actors and billionaires, yet they are often ignored or even threatened with deportation. Despite plans to deport and punish them by the tens of millions, breaking up families and dragging them from their homes, they were here centuries before the United States of America was a country. They are not going anywhere.