Edward James Olmos

EJO spent several years helping to have created the book, video and CD entitled Americanos: Latino Life in the United States. In many ways, it was a labor of love for him. Why Americanos? Why would we give this title to a book on Latinos? There are several reasons. One is that too often society sees us not as Americans but as strangers to this land. We have worked hard to help build this country and we continue to do so every day. The face of America should include us. Second, as Latinos we often think of Americanos as the others in this country, not us. We, and especially our children, need to see that we are an integral and equal part of U.S. society. Third, we wanted a title that would recognize and honor our bilingual heritage and would be easily understood in both English and Spanish. And, finally, we wanted to illustrate that, much like a quilt woven intricately with many beautiful fibers, Latinos are a proud and diverse people interwoven with indigenous, Spanish/European, African, and Asian roots. We are citizens not only of the United States of America, but also of all the Americas and of the Latin American countries around the world.

-- Edward James Olmos, Preface of Americanos: "Latino Life in the United States"