Several books have been written about the history of the Coachella Valley, most of which focus on the efforts of white settlers to develop the valley's agriculture and tourism industries. But while some scholars have written extensively about the history of the Cahuilla Indians and ancient Lake Cahuilla, relatively little has been written about the immigrants from Mexico, Japan and other countries who have fueled the Coachella Valley's economic growth since the early 1900s, let alone the people who have come to this valley from other states.

This book is an attempt to fill the void by highlighting some of the more interesting aspects of Coachella and the eastern Coachella Valley's immigrant history, as told by several of the valley's pioneering immigrants and their descendants, in an effort to better inform people about the significant economic and social contributions of immigrants in our community.