Chicano (Mexican American) literature began to establish itself in the United States in the 1960s. This period, sometimes known as the Chicano Renaissance, was in part inspired by the Civil Rights movement. Chicano writers emphasized the need for political action to provide equal opportunities for Chicanos. One of the leading figures in this movement was Tomás Rivera (1935-1984), whose novel y no se lo trago la tierra/And the Earth Did Not Part (1971) told of the hardships endured by Mexican American migrant workers. In 1972, Rudolfo Anaya (1937-) published Bless Me, Ultima, which has become one of the most popular of all Mexican American novels.

In the 1980s, mainstream publishers became more willing to publish works by Chicano and other Latino writers (such as Cuban Americans or Puerto Ricans), in part because of the movement in colleges...