A century after the first wave of Hispanic settlement in Houston, the city has come to be known as the “Hispanic mecca of Texas.” Arnoldo De León’s classic study of Hispanic Houston, now updated to cover recent developments and encompass a decade of additional scholarship, showcases the urban experience for Sunbelt Mexican Americans.

De León focuses on the development of the barrios in Texas’ largest city from the 1920s to the present. Following the generational model, he explores issues of acculturation and identity formation across political and social eras. This contribution to community studies, urban history, and ethnic studies was originally published in 1989 by the Center for Mexican American Studies at the University of Houston. With the Center’s cooperation, it is now available again for a new generation of scholars.

ARNOLDO DE LEÓN holds the C. J. “Red” Davidson Endowed Professorship in History at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas. A member of the Texas Institute of Letters and a fellow of the Texas State Historical Association, he has written a number of important books and many articles on Mexican Americans in Texas. He earned his Ph.D. at Texas Christian University.