“indigenismo can subvert the colonized mentality found among mestizo peoples that elevates the European and denigrates the Indian. For Chicano/a youth, discovering they have roots in indigenous, often advanced, pre-Columbian cultures can help develop a sense of potential empowerment. "My ancestors invented rubber? Wow!" exclaimed one incredulous Los Angeles gang member to a youth counselor telling him about ancient Mexico and the Olmecas (who didn't exactly invent rubber, since Nature was the inventor, but who surely did develop it). Such discoveries can be a first step toward understanding and respecting the worldview of indigenous peoples.” RespectLos AngelesIndigenousAncestorsInventionsChicanoEuropeansIndigenismoMestizo Book:De Colores Means All of Us: Latina Views for a Multi-Colored Century Source: De Colores Means All of Us: Latina Views for a Multi-Colored Century