Guy D. Garcia wrote in Time (1988) that Edward James Olmos is not only "possibly the best Hispanic-American actor of his generation, but one of the best performers working today." Edward James Olmos, however, did not have Hollywood success and greatness served to him on a platter. He was born and raised by in the poor, working-class Boyle Heights section of East Los Angeles. Fortunately, at a young age Olmos avoided drugs and gangs by throwing himself into baseball; it was only at baseball games that he saw his father. By his late teens, however, it wasn't baseball that beckoned, but rock 'n' roll. After graduating from Montebello High School, a longhaired Olmos not only attended junior college, but was the lead vocalist for the band Pacific Ocean. Although Olmos eventually transferred to California State University, Los Angeles, and pursued a degree in...