Book excerpt: Between 1910 and 1929, the two decades that history defines as the Mexican Revolution, almost a million people left Mexico to escape the war’s devastation. This exodus jump-started the growth of the U.S. Latino population, a group which now numbers well over 50 million. These political refugees established productive new lives in the United States. Countless numbers of their descendants, now American citizens, are highly accomplished individuals, including both community and national leaders. To capture these never-before-told stories, Lionel and Kathy Sosa, together with KLRN public television in San Antonio and Jesus Ramirez and his My Story, Inc., wrote and produced a twenty-part documentary series titled Children of the Revolución: How the Mexican Revolution Changed America's Destiny. In this companion volume, some of these descendants tell the stories of life in Mexico, the chaos that their families endured during the Revolution, their treacherous trek to America, and their settlement in a strange new country. In these stories, we discover the heart of the Latino soul, rich in spirit, patriotism, and a fierce commitment to the United States. Their many contributions cannot be ignored. With Professor Neftalí García providing the historic backdrop, editor Lionel Sosa offers new insights into how the Mexican Revolution changed America.