The rise of Chicana/o literature took place in the late 1960s, as part of the Chicano movement and the upsurge in awareness of the presence and cultural contributions of people of Mexican descent in the U.S. The word "Chicano," as Raymund Paredes explains, refers to "people of Mexican ancestry who have resided permanently in the United States for an extended period. Chicanos can be native-born citizens or Mexican-born immigrants who have adapted to life in the United States." Although "Chicano" and "Mexican-American" are often used interchangeably, the former indicates an added political sensibility; an asserted self-awareness of a cultural identity that cannot be separated from social and material struggles for equality and inclusion. Originally a derogatory name for Mexican-Americans, "Chicano" was reappropriated by young civil rights advocates in the 1960s and 1970s as a way to reclaim both the power of self-definition and the pride in a rich, bilingual, cross-cultural heritage. Because of the implicated limitations of the Spanish masculine form, an emerging recognition of gender equality has insisted on modifying the term so that it includes the feminine form. Hence, art, literature, theater, film, and other cultural productions are currently referred to as Chicana/o.

While there was a long history of Mexican-American literature prior to this historical moment, the work of activists and community organizers involved in the Chicano movement fostered significant growth in the production of poetry, art, short stories, and plays by Chicano/a writers. One such activist was Cecilio García-Camarillo (1943-2002), a poet, publisher, editor, literary journalist, textual artist, and script writer who was very active in the Chicano literary and cultural communities. He founded and edited two influential reviews, Magazín (1971-1972) and Caracol (1974-1977), which provided a forum for scores of new Chicano writers. His newsletter RAYAS (1978-1979) evolved into a weekly public radio show, "Espejos de Aztlán" (1979-present).

Over the course of his career, he edited and published works from many well-known Chicano/a writers, including Rudolfo Anaya, Sandra Cisneros, Leroy Quintana, Denise Chávez, Margarita Cota-Cárdenas, E. A. Mares, Ricardo Aguilar Melantzón, José Montalvo, Carlos Morton, Jim Sagel, and Sylvia Vergara, all of whom are featured in this collection.

Sources: Ell, Sophie. "Introduction to Chicano Literature." Rudolfo Anaya Digital Archive. Lamadrid, Enrique R. "Biographical Information." Cecilio García Camarillo Papers, Center for Southwest Research and Special Collections, University of New Mexico Libraries.