5 NOTA Latina authors you should be reading now (and you can also book for Hispanic Heritage Month)

If you're looking to broaden your reading list, may we suggest you start by adding more books by Latinx and Hispanic authors to your TBR pile this Hispanic Heritage Month and beyond.

Regardless of one's cultural background or ethnicity, reading books written by people with experiences and perspectives that differ from our own is an important part of broadening our reading diet. For far too long, the racial and ethnic composition of many bookshelves haven't looked like the people who own them, and that has a lot to do with the makeup of the publishing industry from the top down.

Many renowned Latin American writers actually produced some of their finest work while living in the United States. Latina and Latino writers have made exceptional contributions to American literary history.

For a fresh take on what it means to be a Latina or Latino in the U.S. today, check out these five literary luminaries.

You Sound Like a White Girl: The Case for Rejecting Assimilation by Julissa Arce

“You sound like a white girl.” These were the words spoken to Julissa by a high school crush as she struggled to find her place in America. As a brown immigrant from Mexico, assimilation had been demanded of her since the moment she set foot in San Antonio, Texas, in 1994. She’d spent so much time getting rid of her accent so no one could tell English was her second language that in that moment she felt those words—you sound like a white girl?—were a compliment. As a child, she didn’t yet understand that assimilating to “American” culture really meant imitating “white” America—that sounding like a white girl was a racist idea meant to tame her, change her, and make her small. She ran the race, completing each stage, but never quite fit in, until she stopped running altogether.

In this dual polemic and manifesto, Julissa dives into and tears apart the lie that assimilation leads to belonging. She combs through history and her own story to break down this myth, arguing that assimilation is a moving finish line designed to keep Black and brown Americans and immigrants chasing racist American ideals. She talks about the Lie of Success, the Lie of Legality, the Lie of Whiteness, and the Lie of English—each promising that if you obtain these things, you will reach acceptance and won’t be an outsider anymore. Julissa deftly argues that these demands leave her and those like her in a purgatory—neither able to secure the power and belonging within whiteness nor find it in the community and cultures whiteness demands immigrants and people of color leave behind.

In You Sound Like a White Girl, Julissa offers a bold new promise: Belonging only comes through celebrating yourself, your history, your culture, and everything that makes you uniquely you. Only in turning away from the white gaze can we truly make America beautiful. An America where difference is celebrated, heritage is shared and embraced, and belonging is for everyone. Through unearthing veiled history and reclaiming her own identity, Julissa shows us how to do this.

Perfectly You: Embracing the Power of Being Real by Mariana Atencio

In this much-needed book, which is part self-help and part autobiography, award-winning correspondent Mariana Atencio digs into what makes each of us special and the ways in which we can become a force for good in a broken world.

As a bilingual correspondent for NBC News, Fusion TV, and Univision, Mariana holds a unique perspective—having immigrated from Venezuela to America as a young adult, having overcome challenges to graduate from Columbia University and eventually become a national news correspondent, and having seen firsthand the humanity that is ever so present in the midst of both adversity and opportunity.

Mariana’s story is the powerful, inspiring story of life in the United States as an immigrant. Yet it is at its core a human story. It is all of our stories, and it is a call to every man, woman, and child to unlock the magic of their potential and begin to thrive.

The media screens of today perpetuate stereotypes, but what would happen if instead of comparing ourselves and falling short, we compared ourselves and celebrated our uniqueness? What would happen if we believed in our worth and embraced what makes us different? And what if we truly saw those around us as neighbors and not merely adversaries to our particular group or station?

The days of doubt and division must end. It starts with authenticity, persistence, and understanding what truly makes you special.

Empanada: A Lesbiana Story en Probaditas by Anel I. Flores

The voices in Empanada’s kitchen will definitely not be shy! Each probadita is told from the bustling space of the kitchen and heavily spiced with hurt and yearning, lust, desire, passion and bliss. Each bite of Empanada will take you on a journey through the heart of Paloma, a young lesbiana learning to maneuver her loving heart through a culture of judgment. This collection of vignettes is divided into three macroscopic sections: Food, Religion and Sex where personal, cultural and gender identity are in constant flux, but finally birth a new geographic space in Latina, Chicana, Mexican and Lesbian literature and lesbianidad.

Canícula: Snapshots of a Girlhood en la Frontera by Norma Elia Cantú

Winner of the Premio Aztlán Literary Prize

Canícula--the dog days--a particularly intense part of the summer when most cotton is harvested in South Texas. In Norma Cantú's fictionalized memoir of Laredo in the 1940s, 1950s, and early 1960s, it also represents a time between childhood and a still-unknown adulthood. Snapshots and the author's re-created memories allow readers to experience the pivotal events of this world--births, deaths, injuries, fiestas, and rites of passage.

In celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the original publication, this updated edition includes newly written pieces as well as never-before-published images--culled from hundreds of the author's family photos--adding further depth and insight into this unique contribution to Chicana literature.

Self Made: Becoming Empowered, Self-Reliant, and Rich in Every Way by Nely Galan

For readers of #GIRLBOSS and viewers of Shark Tank—a global revolution in entrepreneurship is under way, inspiring women to blaze a trail of financial self-reliance and become self-made. Featuring a foreword by Suze Orman.

What does it mean to be self-made? It’s not just about having money, but financial empowerment is where it begins. It means getting out of survival mode, where you are one problem away from catastrophe. It means changing your mindset from instant gratification to goal orientation. It means being able to sleep at night without worry. It means being rich in every way: rich in money, rich in family, rich in love, rich in time—abundant!

For Nely Galán—entrepreneur, TV producer, and real estate mogul—helping women to become self-made is a movement and a mission. Galán pulls no punches. She is the straight-talking friend and mentor you’ve always wanted, and here she shares valuable, candid, no-nonsense lessons learned on her own path to becoming self-made (“There is no Prince Charming”; “Think like an immigrant”; “In your pain is your brand”; “Don’t buy shoes, buy buildings!”). You’ll read inspiring stories of women who started and grew businesses out of ingenuity, opportunity, and need. You’ll find exercises to help you identify your goals and your strengths. You’ll learn tips and tricks for saving money, making money, and finding “hidden money” that can help jump-start your self-made dreams.

When you become self-made, the change in you inspires change in those around you, because one of the greatest rewards of a self-made life is seeing how the sparks from your personal revolution can light a fire in others. So come, join the Self-Made movement. The revolution starts inside of you!

We work and manage all five authors, and they have customized sessions exclusively for out clients, and YOU can also host them for this year's 2023 Hispanic Heritage Month celebration and commemoration. Email us at [email protected] to check on their availability.?