From the moment the Spanish Conquest began in the late 1400s to the Census Department's pronouncement in the early 21st century that Latinos and Latinas now represent the largest minority group in the United States, Hispanic-American history has been an integral and essential part of American history. One cannot fully understand our nation's past without studying the roles, contributions, and impacts that Latinos and Latinas have had over the past 500 years. Encyclopedia of Latino-American History examines all the events, themes, and individuals that have shaped Latino/Latina history, their centrality to the nation's experience in every era, and the wide diversity of ethnic groups that comprise this vast portion of the American population. Arranged in alphabetical order, this brand-new, comprehensive encyclopedia includes more than 1,100 articles as well as illustrations. Every article is signed, and a distinguished board of advisers has overseen the entire reference.