This book offers inspiring biographies of the biggest Latino names in music, sports, education, literature, entertainment, journalism, and labour. Latinos have contributed a tremendous amount to American cultural heritage, injecting energy, a unique style, and piquant flavour. This set profiles the big names from this century and the last who represent the highest achievement in their field and who have inspired, led, educated, informed, and entertained us. A diverse representation from the world of sports, entertainment, education, music, journalism, literature, and labour is offered. Biographical essays engagingly tell the story behind the icon, with background including family and education, career trajectory and highlights, and contributions and circumstances that have led to icon status. Along with these famous figures, several essays on other types of Latino pop culture icons - iconic characters from cartoons, comics, film and even iconic Latino foods - are included. Entertaining side bars and classic photos complement the essays. Readers will find that a number of the icons profiled were influenced by other icons profiled or have an important connection to one another. For example, Tito Puente and Celia Cruz performed together for many years and Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta made the United Farm Workers union a reality. Furthermore, in telling the story of these icons, each essay relates the historical and social issues of the times. Thus, together, they offer a good sense of recent Latino and Latin American history and progress. This book is part of the "Greenwood Icons" series. It offers recognition of Latino contributions to culture and society.