September 15 - October 15, 2022: Hispanic Heritage Month - Caltech Library Resource Displays - Library at California Institute of Technology

Good Reads

Geological field experiences in Mexico: An effective and efficient model for enabling middle and high school science teachers to connect with their burgeoning Hispanic populations
Authors K. Kitts; Eugene Perry, Jr.; Rosa Maria Leal-Bautista; Guadalupe Velazquez-Oliman
GSA Special Papers. Field Geology Education: Historical Perspectives and Modern Approaches

Our America : a Hispanic history of the United States by Felipe Fernández-Armesto
The United States is still typically conceived of as an offshoot of England, with our history unfolding east to west beginning with the first English settlers in Jamestown. This view overlooks the significance of America's Hispanic past. With the profile of the United States increasingly Hispanic, the importance of recovering the Hispanic dimension to our national story has never been greater. The United States clearly has a Hispanic present and future. And here is its Hispanic past, presented with characteristic insight and wit by one of our greatest historians.
Finding Latinx : In Search of the Voices Redefining Latino Identity by Paola Ramos
Debut author and journalist Paola Ramos travels to near and far corners of the country in search of Latin-X voices that illustrate a growing movement and represent a community of young Latinos that hold more political, social, and cultural relevance today than ever before. From Afro-Latinos to Trans-Latinos, border town Latinos to the young Cuban-Americans in Miami, this book will give life to the cryptic term 'Latin-X'.
The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
One of the first undocumented immigrants to graduate from Harvard reveals the hidden lives of her fellow undocumented Americans in this deeply personal and groundbreaking portrait of a nation.
An African American and Latinx History of the United States by Paul Ortiz
Spanning more than two hundred years, An African American and Latinx History of the United States is a revolutionary, politically charged narrative history arguing that the "Global South" was crucial to the development of America as we know it. Ortiz challenges the notion of westward progress, as exalted by widely taught formulations such as "manifest destiny" and "Jacksonian democracy," and shows how placing African American, Latinx, and Indigenous voices unapologetically front and center transforms American history into the story of the working class organizing against imperialism.
Harvest of Empire : A History of Latinos in America by Juan Gonzalez
With family portraits of real-life immigrant Latino pioneers, as well as accounts of the events and conditions that compelled them to leave their homelands, Gonzalez highlights the complexity of a segment of the American population that is often discussed but frequently misrepresented. This landmark history is required reading for anyone wishing to understand the history and legacy of this influential and diverse group.
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
One Hundred Years of Solitude tells the story of the rise and fall, birth and death of the mythical town of Macondo through the history of the Buendiá family. Inventive, amusing, magnetic, sad and alive with unforgettable men and women--brimming with truth, compassion, and a lyrical magic that strikes the soul--this novel is a masterpiece in the art of fiction.
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz
Oscar is a sweet but disastrously overweight, lovesick Dominican ghetto nerd. From his home in New Jersey, where he lives with his old-world mother and rebellious sister, Oscar dreams of becoming the Dominican J. R. R. Tolkien and, most of all, of finding love. But he may never get what he wants, thanks to the Fukú--the curse that has haunted Oscar's family for generations, dooming them to prison, torture, tragic accidents, and, above all, ill-starred love. Oscar, still waiting for his first kiss, is just its most recent victim.
Reading Junot Diaz by Christopher Gonzalez
Reading Junot Díaz is the first study to focus on his complete body of published works. It explores the totality of his work and provides a concise view of the interconnected and multilayered narrative that weaves throughout Díaz's writings. Christopher González analyzes both the formal and thematic features and discusses the work in the context of speculative and global fiction as well as Caribbean and Latino/a culture and language. Topics such as race, masculinity, migration, and Afro-Latinidad are examined in depth.
Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende
A passionate tale of one young woman's quest to save her lover set against the chaos of the 1849 California Gold Rush. A marvel of storytelling, Daughter of Fortune confirms once again Isabel Allende's extraordinary gift for fiction and her place as one of the world's leading writers.
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende; Magda Bogin (Translator)
The magnificent saga of proud and passionate men and women and the turbulent times through which they suffer and triumph. They are the Truebas. And theirs is a world you will not want to leave, and one you will not forget.

Los Angeles Times: 11 books to read during Hispanic Heritage Month

Young Adult Novelist Lilliam Rivera, author of Dealing in Dreams and The Education of Margot Sanchez

Current U.S. poet laureate Ada Limon, author of The Carrying, Bright Dead Things, and This Big Fake World

Winner of the California Book Award, Michael Jaime-Becerra, author of Every Night Is Ladies’ Night

Colombian novelist and memoirist Ingrid Rojas Contreras, author of Fruit of the Drunken Tree and The Man Who Could Move Clouds

Winner of the Whiting Award, Jaquira Diaz, author of Ordinary Girls

The Taste of Sugar: A Novel by author Marisel Vera
"Set in Puerto Rico, amid the coming of the Spanish-American war, a young couple is lured to the sugar plantations of Hawaii..where they are confronted by the hollowness of America's promise of prosperity."

L.A. Taco: "We are a source of news and information covering food, culture, and community in the metropolitan area. We are independently owned and operated, by L.A. and for L.A. In our mission, we aim to bring raw and street-level journalism from all corners of L.A. county to our loyal readers, supporters, and members, and partners who share our passion for Los Angeles."

Go Local!

Recommended cultural sites and good food

Visit Olvera Street, don't miss Mexican painter David Alfaro Siqueiros' most significant Los Angeles mural, "Siqueiros Mural," at the America Tropical Interpretive Center

Donate, become a member, or visit the Riverside Art Museum 'The Cheech'

LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes in Downtown LA: Exhibitions, programming and events that recognize the enduring cultural influence of Mexicans, Mexican Americans, and all Latinas/Latinos in Los Angeles

Avenue 50 Studio (Highland Park): Arts presentation organization grounded in Latina/o culture, visual arts, and the Northeast Los Angeles area

Guisados 577 S Arroyo Pkwy, Pasadena, CA 91105
Tacos with handmade tortillas and homestyle braises, originally out of Boyle Heights

Baja Cali Fish & Tacos 2487 E Washington Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91104
Baja California style food with daily and monthly specials

La Caravana Salvadorian Restaurant 1306 N Lake Ave, Pasadena, CA 91104
Try the mini pupusas platter if you can't decide!

Wanderlust Creamery 59 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91105
September flavors include guava tres leches, nopal, alfajor de lucuma, and tamal de elote

Caltech Library Resource Displays

National Hispanic Heritage Month

Notable Scientists

Watch

Good Reads

Go Local!