[4] Aiming to create an academic and literary outlet for Chicano voices, it originated from the movement's need of an unbiased artistic venue for Mexican American authors.

[1] The authors published in El Grito drew attention to the biases in academic realms regarding Mexican-Americans and attempted to rectify these blind spots.

El Grito also published advertisements geared towards high schools and other university departments to stress the importance of Quinto Sol materials in the classroom.

The Chicano Movement in general, and the works, drew heavily from Anglo-American culture, the experiences of Mexican-Americans, and Aztec mythology.

[5] The first Premio Quinto Sol was awarded to Tomás Rivera, an associate professor of Spanish at Sam Houston University in Huntsville, Texas, in 1971 for ...y no se lo tragó la tierra (And the Earth Did Not Devour Him).

[6] Rolando Hinojosa won the third award for Estampas del Valle y Otras Obras (Sketches of the Valley and Other Works) in 1973.

The Premio Quinto Sol literary prize was first awarded to a woman, Estela Portillo Trambley[8] in 1975 for her collection of short stories, Rain of Scorpions.

Through the journal El Grito, the Premio Quinto Sol literary award, and its various other publications, Quinto Sol played a pivotal role in the process of institutionalizing Chicano culture as a legitimate field of inquiry[7] and contributing to the formation of a Chicano(a) literary canon.

Important Chicano voices who participated include Alex Saragoza, Alurista, Edel Romay, Gustavo Segade, Hector Calderón, Juan Carrillo, Lorna Dee Cervantes, Lucha Corpi, Malaquías Montoya, Nick Vaca, Rosaura Sánchez, Rudy Anaya (by video), and Sergio Elizondo.