National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15 – October 15. Here are four books you can read to develop a deeper understanding of what it means to be hispanic.
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
By: Erika L. Sánchez
This 2019 young adult novel is a New York Times Bestseller that follows the life of 15-year-old Julia Reyes. The “perfect” Mexican daughter is expected to stay home and not abandon her family. Julia, on the other hand, is a writer and artist who wants to go to college. While Julia was not the perfect Mexican daughter, her sister Olga was. Olga dies, however, in a tragic accident on the busiest street of Chicago. Olga’s death leaves Julia broken and overwhelmed with the pressures of living up to Olga’s “perfect” daughter life. Her mom points out every way that Julia is failing where her sister Olga otherwise succeeded. Sometime after Olga’s death, Julia discovers that her sister may not have been the perfect daughter that everyone thought she was. She is determined to uncover the truth of her sister’s story with her best friend Lorena and love interest Connor. This novel dives into the impossible ideal Mexicans are expected to live up to and the stereotypes of living in a Mexican American home.
Where They Burn Books, They Also Burn People
By: Marcos Antonio Hernandez
This novel has chapters that alternate between two stories that are based on historical events. The first story is set in 1549 and follows the historical account of Friar Diego de Landa. Landa is a Roman Catholic who is determined to convert the Maya of the Yucatán Peninsula. During this mission, Landa finds out a Spanish landowner is persecuting the native population. In an attempt to protect the Maya, Landa sends thousands of them back to their own country and uproots centuries of their indigenous traditions. This response may end up hurting the Maya and Mayan culture more than helping them.
The second story is set in 2010 and follows possible present implications from the past events of the first story. This story is centered around the fictional character Cortez Vuscar. Vuscar believes if he grows his church’s congregation, then his father will return. He is in love with a girl who is in a relationship with a wealthy and unfaithful man. He thinks if they were together then they would be able to attract churchgoers, so he attempts to win her over. While trying to win her over he starts reading the literature she reads, which drives his mind into madness.
This novel follows two men trying to expand their religion while also pursuing what they love. It follows real hispanic events while exploring possible current day implications.
Living Beyond Borders: Growing up Mexican in America
By: Margarita Longoria
This novel includes the stories of 20 first hand accounts of what it means to be Mexican American. These stories are told through short stories, essays, poems and comics. Each author shares their personal story of borders they had to cross and hardships they had to overcome. They also share what it is like to maneuver the two cultures as Mexican Americans. This novel is a very emotional and personal account of multiple stories to help any reader understand what it is like to live as a Mexican American in the present day.
We Are Not from Here
By: Jenny Torres Sanchez
This 2021 novel was inspired by current events regarding the U.S. and Mexico Border. The story follows the lives of three teenagers: Pulga, Chico, and Pequeña. They live in Guatemala where there are constant threats and dangers to their lives. While they love their family, they know they have to leave their home and loved ones in order to have a better life. They do not have much except the bags on their back as they travel through Mexico on the La Bestia train route. They risk this dangerous journey in the hopes of reaching the U.S. and with that, finding a better life. This novel addresses the hardships of hispanics in their homeland and the hope that the U.S. is. It also addresses the difficult journey of crossing the U.S. and Mexico Border and what life after crossing it is like.
Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to recognize and honor Hispanic Americans in what they have overcome and what they have contributed to the U.S. If you want to better understand the life of a hispanic this National Hispanic Heritage Month, I encourage you to read one of the stories above!
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