Born in East LA,La Bamba, American Me and Zoot Suit are all recent films by and about chicanos. In this study, the author offers an explanation of the cultural significance of these and other films, using approaches from feminist studies, cultural studies and film theory. The Bronze Screen explores the historical conditions that produced the bronze explosions on Hollywood and independent film screens. Fregoso also puts forth social, textual and cultural readings that examine questions of cultural nationalism, feminism, and sexuality as contemporary issues facing the chicano and chicana communities. Ultimately, this work takes readers on a critical tour of the chicano cinema that emerged during the chicano power movement of the late 60s - when films were staged on the ground of anti-racism politics in the United States - and continues through more recent films of the 1980s and 1990s.