This paper examines the kinds of visuals that Spanish language textbooks use to legitimize Latino/a culture, noting how different groups are presented and represented by the narratives; how ethnicity, class, gender, age, and sexual inclinations interplay with power relations, and what ideologies weave the textual fabric of foreign language books. It analyzes three introductory college Spanish textbooks: "Que Tal?,""Mosaicos," and "Entrevistas." The paper explores the visual images that have been selected to convey the Latino/a experience. Two of the books depict light-skinned, middle class Latino/as of European ancestry who are working in professions requiring higher education. The few images of dark-skinned people focus on sports or folk customs. The third book, "Entrevistas," offers a variety of pictures that strengthen the notion of ethnic diversity in the Latino/a world. However, although its visuals are diverse, the power to speak appears controlled by people of European ancestry with middle class views and occupations. The three texts present visual images of human relations as neutral, friendly, and peaceful. Women are shown as having out-of-home occupations. The paper concludes that textbooks tend to present versions of reality that embody certain interests, reify certain interpretations and value judgments, and give promise to specific pieces of information while rendering others invisible or distorted. (SM)