José Montalvo is perhaps best described as a social poet. A product of the more militant elements of the Chicano movement of the 1970s, he adapted to the pragmatism of the 1980s without losing sight of his origins, both Mexican and Texan. He resembles Ricardo Sánchez in his penchant for nonconformity and zany iconoclasm, Abelardo Delgado in his lyrical exposition of humanistic ideas, and several other Chicano poets in his blending of nationalism with a pan-Hispanic focus. As a testimonial poet he speaks about the barrio while offering himself as an example of someone who has reached the state of a "mente concientizada" (socially aware mind), as Cecilio García-Camarillo described it in his introduction to Montalvo's first collection of poetry. Above all, Montalvo sought acceptance and affection in a hostile world.

José Luis Montalvo's worldview was deeply conditioned by the Texas-Mexico border...