Part 1 pp. 1 - 42 Summary

Pilgrims in Aztlbn is Miguel Myndez's exploration of the world of Chicanos, split between the United States and Mexico. Written in 1968, this work explores the social, political, and human aspects of the lives of Chicanos from many backgrounds, from farm workers, laborers, and prostitutes to the newly wealthy and powerful. The book follows interwoven tales of many Chicanos, switching from scene to scene, back and forth in time and place, sometimes not naming the characters, until slowly it builds a full picture of Chicano life in the 1960s.

Loreto, an old Yaqui Indian man, sets out with a bucket of water to make his living on the streets, washing cars for whatever people will pay him. Rain is coming, perhaps cooling but perhaps overbearing, washing everything away. Life, for Loreto, is a painful struggle. He is poor, dirty, and...