With these one hundred poems Alurista created a highly original poetics that upset the literary conventions of the era. Floricanto en Aztlán was published in 1971, a time of Chicano activism and the search for a Chicano identity. Using Aztlán, the mythical homeland of the Aztecs, as a unifying metaphor and employing indigenous symbols to describe barrio life, the poet inspired his readers, cultivating pride in their cultural past. The poems blend English, Spanish, and pre-Columbian languages to explore themes of alienation and exploitation in a decidedly Chicano voice.
This new edition of Floricanto en Aztlán, Alurista's first book of poetry, includes a new preface by the poet and a new foreword that considers the lasting influence of this important work.