1970: Hispanics make up 12 percent of California's population.

1990: Hispanics make up 30 percent of California's population, and 9 percent of the total population of the United States.

Today: It is estimated that there are six million undocumented workers in the United States.

1986: The U.S. government signs the Immigration Reform and Control Act that confers legal status to three million people who came to the United States before 1982. This law also imposes legal sanctions on employers who are found to have employed undocumented workers.

1994: Proposition 187, which denies state aid to illegal immigrants, is approved by voters. But, it is blocked by state and federal courts. Hispanic voter turnout rises seventeen percentage points in the following election.

1996: The number of Hispanic registered voters reaches 6.6 million.

Today: The AFL-CIO reverses its position on immigration and sponsors a rally in Los Angeles' Sports Arena where twenty thousand immigrants march, demanding...