The late 19th-century imperial surge of the United States greatly affected Latino Americans. The fourth volume of ""Latino-American History"", ""Struggling to Become American: 1899-1940"", covers Puerto Rican and Cuban immigration, along with Mexican migration, and spotlights Latinos who fought for the United States during World War I. Students will also find discussion about conditions on the U.S. homefront, where a great number of Latino laborers were recruited to work in the railway, steel, meatpacking, construction, and agriculture industries. The author also describes early Latino-American struggles for acceptance, equality, and fair treatment in the United States, particularly during the Great Depression.

Following World War II, Latinos, like other Americans, sought the American Dream. The fifth installment in this important new series tracks the struggles and progress of Latino Americans through the mid-1980s. As the U.S. economy grew, so did the need for cheap labor. In many parts of the United States, Latino Americans and Latino immigrants provided the solution to this need. Latinos also joined other groups in the fight for civil rights, seeking both political and economic equality with their Anglo counterparts. The result of these struggles was a new sense of Latino-American identity.