With narration and commentary by Dr. Ernesto Galarza, this film presents the Mexican-American civil rights movement in the Southwestern United States, and introduces community leaders and activists, including footage of Rudolfo "Corky" Gonazles and Cesar Chavez. Special emphasis is given to the challenges faced by newly urban Mexican Americans - rural farm workers who moved into cities where they could not compete for jobs, resulting in a large population confronted with a high poverty rate and its accompanying complications - poor education, substandard housing, and inadequate health care.