Four of the most important and influential Mexican-American and Latinx movies came out in the 1980s. The movies “Zoot Suit,” “La Bamba,” “Stand and Deliver,” and “Born in East L.A.” captured life in the San Fernando Valley and the rest of Greater Los Angeles, Calif. The 1980s especially...

There is something extraordinarily odd about the word “Hispanic” in Hispanic Heritage Month. The word is exclusionary but also ironically Eurocentric during a month-long celebration and recognition of the independence of Latin American countries from European imperialism. The same can be said...