Every now and then a scholar appears in the field of history whose 
outpouring of works earns them special tribute and homage. Such a 
person is Dr. Félix D. Almaráz, Jr., of the University of Texas at San 
Antonio. Over the course of a career that spans more than four 
decades, don Félix (as he is respectfully known) has stamped his 
name on Texas history as an author of award-winning books and 
essays, as an ambassador for the profession, and as a winner of 
numerous awards and honors, many of them bestowed upon him by 
historical and learned societies abroad.

    Tejano Epic is a tribute to don Félix, compiled to recognize his 
outstanding service on behalf of Texas history in general and the 
state's Hispanic past in particular. All the contributors are well-known 
scholars in the field of Tejano history; all have been touched by Dr. 
Almaráz's exemplary scholarship, warm friendship, and consummate 
professionalism. The essays have a student readership in mind, each 
showing the historian at work: debunking stereotypes, revising the 
historical record, revisiting old events through new perspectives, 
engaging in archival detective work, or studying neglected topics in 
Tejano history. They are also suitable for teachers and general 
readers who want to know more about contributions and influences 
of the Mexican-origin people in Texas.

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ARNOLDO DE LEÓN is C. J. "Red" Davidson Professor of History at 
Angelo State University. He is the author of Racial Frontiers: Africans, 
Chinese, and Mexicans in Western America, 1848–1890, and Ethnicity 
in the Sunbelt: A History of Mexican Americans in Houston, Texas.