Book excerpt: Author and historian, Crystal Jackson, delivers an authentic and compelling account of one town's epic journey through American history. Since our nation's birth, Pacoima has been a microcosm of America's social development and evolution. Once called Pacoinga, this was sacred Indian land until Spain invaded in the 1700s. From the Mission era and genocide of the area's natives to the rise of a Black middle-class suburban community, the town's diverse racial history is unlike any other. Jackson's powerful book peels back the jaw-dropping layers of this historic town to expose the provocative racial threads that bind American history. As some in America strived to contain and diminish people of color, time after time, Pacoimabroke free and flew to unimaginable heights. The town blends a unique divergence of cultures, including Native, Latino, Black, Japanese, and White has defied all odds over that last 150 years. Their remarkable history reveals stories that redefine the development of America's minority culture. Jackson has spent five years researching the town and interviewed dozens of current and former residents. US Congressman Tony Cárdenas, US Congresswoman Barbara Lee, and Calif. Secretary of State, Alex Padilla, are among the many people raised in Pacoima, that Jackson interviewed for the book. She also interviewed 90-year-old residents, Indian chiefs, Mexican migrants, families of Japanese internment camp survivors and civil rights leaders who vividly described the town's growth and evolution. Despite the stolen Indian land, punishment for speaking Spanish, forced imprisonment, civil rights violations, and a tragic crack epidemic that nearly destroyed the town, Pacoima has defied all odds to make a significant impact on the country and even the world.