Arrancaba el nuevo milenio y la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas dispuso que el mundo contara con una fecha oficial para conmemorar a las personas migrantes; así, en el año 2000 quedó asentado que, de ese día en adelante, cada 18 de diciembre se conmemoraría a los millones de personas que viven lejos de su lugar de origen a las personas que deciden migrar, inmigrar y emigrar (Comunicado oficial de la ONU).
Pero, atención: la raíz de la palabra migrar encuentra en el latín migrare: transportar, mover, salir, quitar; y los prefijos de emigrar e inmigrar provienen del latín ex, que significa fuera. Etimológicamente, estas palabras no están asociadas con decisión, sino con movimiento.
El desplazamiento al que obliga la supervivencia.
Estados Unidos, que ha sido históricamente un país de destino, ocupa el primer lugar global en recepción de migrantes con predominancia de América Latina y el Caribe. Sin embargo, la migración de sur a norte no es un fenómeno reciente, pues, como hemos dicho, desde que existen las fronteras, existen las migraciones.
En Arte Público Press, y mediante el programa Recovery (Recuperación de la herencia literaria hispana en Estados Unidos) se ha recuperado y publicado una gran cantidad de literatura de inmigración escrita en español que se construye a partir de las resistencias derivadas del desplazamiento. Para la literatura hispana de migración, la aculturación no es automática y ni siquiera inevitable; es, por el contrario, un proceso angustiante que da lugar a fricciones y conflictos.
Nicolás Kanellos, director de APP y especialista en literatura de inmigración, ha hecho énfasis en el lugar distintivo que ocupan las voces hispanoamericanas en el mercado literario estadounidense, en especial si las comparamos con la producción literaria de otras comunidades migrantes que tradicionalmente promueven una agenda integracionista caracterizada por la adopción del inglés y el abandono de las culturas originales.
El origen de la literatura hispana de migración se puede rastrear hasta etapas muy tempranas, con antecedentes en las cartas de relación de los cronistas españoles y en las expresiones de la prensa en el siglo XIX. Las aventuras de don Chipote o cuando los pericos mamen de Daniel Venegas (1928) es la primera novela sobre la inmigración mexicana en Estados Unidos (Kanellos 1999). Publicada originalmente en el periódico El Heraldo de México de Los Ángeles, California, y recuperada por Arte Público Press, constituye un testimonio humorístico y a la vez desgarrador de los infortunios que padecen los migrantes al perseguir su meta. Al leerla, se identificarán resonancias con el presente, porque, por desgracia, las injusticias no han perdido su vigencia.
Casi no se puede creer que las autoridades de los Estados Unidos no se hayan dado cuenta de este robo de que son víctimas nuestros compatriotas, pues es imposible que tales abusos no se los sepan. En este caso lo único que se puede pensar es: o que no hacen caso porque somos mexicanos, o que son cómplices de las sinvergüenzadas de las compañías. El que esto escribe, en la temporada que tuvo que entrarle al traque, no recuerda haber recibido un cheque conforme al tiempo trabajado; ni que le hayan mandado la provisión tal como la ordenó; pues la famosa tienda manda lo que se le pega la gana y lo cobra como quiere. (Venegas 95)
Esta novela, igual que algunas otras obras literarias de inmigración en Estados Unidos, y en especial durante las primeras décadas del siglo XX, parecía gritarle a sus connacionales: No vengan, es demasiado complicado, demasiado doloroso, no vale la pena.
Todas estas injusticias no tienen más remedio que aguantarse, pues si reclama se saca la misma, esto si acaso puede uno hacerlo, pues falto del idioma no hace más que renegar, y esto en español, cosa que por un lado les entra y por otro les sale. Sin embargo de estos abusos de que son víctimas todos los paisanos que vienen al camello a los Estados Unidos, no hay uno que regrese a México y que llegue y cuente la verdad; pues todos llegan recantoneándoselas y contándoles las costillas a los que les preguntan cómo les fue en el país del oro. Es debido a esto que la mayoría de los que andamos por estos rumbos, nos hemos dejado venir dizque a barrer el dinero con la escoba. (Venegas 72)
Desde el título mismo, Las aventuras de don Chipote deja en evidencia que se trata de una farsa, y que, en vez de las aventuras, narrará las adversidades de un campesino mexicano que se desplaza a Estados Unidos con la intención de hacer fortuna… y que nomás termina topándose la realidad en la cara.
Y mientras tanto, soñaba … y en sus sueños veía pasar como cinta peliculera las amargas aventuras de que fue protagonista, las que eran endulzadas por el recuerdo de sus amores pelonescos, recuerdo que no le hacía olvidar los fracasos que los chicanos se llevan por dejar a su patria, ilusionados por los cuentos de los que van a los Estados Unidos, dizque a barrer el dinero con la escoba….
Y pensando en esto, llegó a la conclusión de que los mexicanos se harán ricos en Estados Unidos: CUANDO LOS PERICOS MAMEN. (Venegas 193-5)
Venegas, Daniel. Las aventuras de Don chipote o Cuando los pericos mamen, Arte Público Press, 1999.
Alaíde Ventura Medina es una escritora veracruzana, autora de Como caracol (SM), Entre los rotos (Random House) y Autofagia (Random House). Actualmente estudia el doctorado en escritura creativa en español en UH.
No queremos desaprovechar este Mes de la Hispanidad para poner sobre la mesa unas lecturas de otoño que recuerdan y celebran nuestra cultura, nuestra historia y esta forma tan particular que tenemos de ver el mundo y de vivir en él.
Si les interesa descubrir o re descubrir lo hispano y lo latino, no dejen de acercarse a estos libros que tienen al alcance de unos clics.
Esta, mis amigxs, es la primera novela chicana de toda la historia. Así como lo leen. LA PRIMERA. ¿Que qué? Pues verán, resulta que por allá por los años veinte del siglo pasado el periodista y editor autodidacta Daniel Venegas, quien ya tenía un diario llamado El Malcriado, decidió escribir un libro para la clase obrera chicana. ¿Y por qué? Pues bien, si la lengua castellana tiene al Ingenioso HidalgoDon Quijote de la Mancha, a la lengua chicana le hacía falta un héroe fundador, un disparatado caballero que supiera lo que es trabajar en el traque, comprar comida en el “suplai” y que, aparte de la historia del migrante hispano, también conociera el anecdotario popular, el acervo, la lengua y el encanto mexicoamericano.
Y la verdad es que en nada desmerece Don Chipote a don Quijote de la Mancha, no le falta ni bondad ni valentía, ni su noble corcel que es el can Sufrelhambre. Tampoco su Sancho Panza, que se llama Policarpo y mucho menos su Dulcinea, la envolvente Pelona. De hecho, hasta su Penélope tiene nuestro héroe, cual Ulises en la Odisea, y esa es la buena y picante Doña Chipota, quien espera desde la dulce patria de México noticias de su amado, y le enviará misivas a su buzón en Peach Spring, sección siete.
De este libro, mis amiguis, obtendrán risas, aventuras y una clase magistral del argot chicano con el estilo clásico y joco-serio que caracteriza a Venegas. Aquí no se habla, se le da vuelo a la sin-hueso; aquí no se trabaja, se camella; aquí no se arma un cigarro, se tuerce uno de fajero. Y si buscan más, lo único que deben hacer es abrir este gozoso buc.
Pero si lo tuyo es el drama o la historia, lo más atinado sería este novelón. ¿Te has preguntado quién vivía en Texas en los años 20? ¿Te interesa seguir la historia de los García y los Quijano, dos familias que lo dejaron todo hace más de un siglo y se vinieron a probar suerte en la tierra de las oportunidades? ¿Sabes cómo subsistían los primeros migrantes en las plantaciones de algodón, en las refinerías de petróleo y en la construcción ferroviaria en ese entonces? Este relato no solo responde a todas esas preguntas, sino que, por si fuera poco, es la primera novela de la literatura acerca de la inmigración mexicana y trae su respectiva traducción al inglés.
Los integrantes de las familias protagonistas encarnan la vida de muchos y muchas que hicieron lo posible para ahorrar el dinero suficiente y volver a su país natal a comprar su propia tierra. Sin embargo, las cosas no salen siempre como ellos quieren y El sol de Texas retrata esa desilusión.
Y ahora, para que no les falten las ganas de leerlo, les dejo a manera de abrebocas la cereza del pastel, el pilón; el fascinante inicio:
Acababan de cruzar el puente hacia los Estados Unidos. Sus pies estaban ahora firmemente plantados en el suelo que era su tierra prometida. Lo habían conseguido. ¡Bendita sea la Virgen de Guadalupe! Ahora no tenían que temer a los villistas, a los carrancistas, al gobierno o a los revolucionarios. Aquí podían encontrar paz, trabajo, riqueza y felicidad”. Así comienza la historia de la familia García, que como muchos de sus compatriotas, huyó de su patria durante la agitación de la Revolución Mexicana en busca de una vida mejor en los Estados Unidos. (Espinoza)
Y nada mejor para terminar, mis cómplices lectorxs, que una novela con un escenario citadino. Y no cualquiera, sino acaso la primera novela urbana en español que se publicó sobre la inmigración norteamericana por allá en 1914.
Así es, Lucas Guevara nos invita a adentrarnos en la historia de un ingenuo joven, proveniente de un pueblito perdido en el campo sudamericano, que se enfrenta a ese monstruo de mil cabezas que es la metrópolis moderna con sus rascacielos, sus multitudes afanosas y el lado oscuro del Sueño Americano.
Al contrario de lo que pensaba, el joven Lucas no encuentra la calle pavimentada de oro ni el camino de la prosperidad, sino un mundo en donde todo se trata de comer o ser comido, y se deja seducir por los placeres carnales que encuentra en la vida nocturna de Nueva York.
Si sabes, o quieres saber cómo era la vida en las pensiones de la capital del mundo en un momento en que casi la mitad de sus habitantes eran inmigrantes, te hago un favor invitándote a leer este deslumbrante relato.
Y creo que con esto, mis amiguis, no les hace falta nada para llenar sus días de otoño con fascinantes historias que nos emocionan y nos recuerdan las luchas de la comunidad hispana en este suelo.
Camilo Rodríguez es doctorante de escritura creativa de la Universidad de Houston. Sus cuentos, crónicas y ensayos se han publicados en revistas y medios culturales como Revista Nexos (México), Revista Arcadia (Colombia) y Almíar (España). Sus intereses académicos incluyen el conflicto armado, la narrativa de viaje y la literatura de inmigración.
Looking for some fun reading that’s a little bit spooky? Check out this list of Arte Público Press books for children and adults that weave folklore into contemporary tales.
This book is illustrated and written by Xavier Garza and is his first collection of scary stories. The stories are told the way Garza heard them growing up in South Texas. This collection of stories is filled with the supernatural– whether it’s trolls, witches, ghost, owls, or other scary creatures, these stories sure do haunt the imagination!
Hinojosa gained most of his inspiration from “El Desierto Muerto,” a region in South Texas where he grew up. This collection features stories starring Lady Death, the Ghostly Rider, and other phantoms. The reader follows Nieve through his journey as he encounters a spook sure to leave the reader wanting more in these mind-bending, chilling stories.
Alonso Perales studied folklore at the Universidad Autónoma de México. He obtained his doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin. His collection of short stories, Brujas, Lechuzas y Espantos contains five haunting tales told in both Spanish and English. The stories begin with Don Cecilio telling the neighborhood children terrifying stories about his hometown. Each story contains its own mystery and features supernatural creatures that are part of a long folkloric tradition in the Hispanic community.
This is another collection of creepy stories written and illustrated by the talented kids’ author, Xavier Garza. In this collection, cousins Maya and Vincent are amused as their uncle, a Lucha Libre wrestler who goes by the moniker Kid Cyclone, fights against his opponent, “El Diablo.” After Maya makes a snarky remark about the devil, Kid Cyclone finds himself fighting against a hellish opponent! These tales contain spooky characters from Mexican American folklore: Chupacabra, the Donkey Lady, The Elmendorf Beast and more skin-crawling creatures.
In this tale a grandpa scares his granddaughter by telling her the Cucuy will take her away if she misbehaved. One day she meets the Cucuy and learns he’s not scary, but quite friendly instead. Illustrated by Jonathan Coombs this is a must read for Latino children and a wonderful book to learn English and/or Spanish. This book is bilingual.
Jennifer Irigaray was a SER-Bank of America Summer Youth Internship Program intern at Arte Público Press/Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage during the summer of 2022. She was raised in Houston, Texas and is a proud first-generation immigrant. She is currently studying at Bellaire High School and hopes to graduate in the year 2023. She is fluent in both English and Spanish and is in the process of mastering two other languages. She has a passion for reading and writing. In her free time, she loves to write anecdotes. Her goal is to someday impact others through her writing.
June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month. It is a time to commemorate the Stonewall riots, a series of spontaneous demonstrations by the LGBTQ+ community as a response to police raids at Stonewall Inn in New York City, which occurred at the end of June 1969 and transformed the gay liberation movement. Marches and parades have occurred in June since then; and the first Pride Month was officially declared in the United States in 1999 by President Bill Clinton. The following selection of Arte Público Press publications highlight the work of LGBTQ+ authors and allies as they showcase the crucial role Latinx LGBTQ+ individuals have played in shaping the literary world and advancing the movement for equality.
As a gay Chicano writer, Arturo Islas (1938-1991) broke academic and artistic barriers. Years after Islas’ death from AIDS-related complications, Frederick Luis Aldama combed through the Islas archive and recovered short fiction, poetry and essays that Islas did not have the opportunity to publish. This collection of works provides insight into who Arturo Islas was as well as his exploration of social, psychological and physical borders.
2. Pablo!. John Rechy. Arte Público Press, 2018. English.
John Rechy is a recipient of the Lambda Literary Award, which is awarded yearly to recognize the crucial role LGBTQ+ writers play in shaping the world. Rechy, a pioneer of modern LGBTQ+ literature, wrote Pablo! when he was 18 years old. Published 70 years later, Pablo! is a love story shaped by Mayan legends. The story focuses on a young girl found collapsed in a field and her search for a mysterious boy. The plot is intertwined within the exploration of indigenous religious rituals and superstitions.
This winner of the 2005 Lambda Literary Award for Best Lesbian Mystery is set along the US-Mexico border. El Paso native Ivon Villa returns to Ciudad Juárez, Mexico to adopt the baby of Cecilia, a pregnant maquiladora worker. When Cecilia is discovered murdered t in the desert, Ivon is thrown into a chaos of abuse and murder along the US-Mexico border. This compelling mystery addresses femicide and brings it to the forefront as a global crisis.
The small Nicaraguan town of La Curva is plagued by the brutal muder of Adela in this novel inspired by a true story. Sirias, a university professor, interviews family, former lovers and neighbors to shed light on the circumstances that lead to Adela’s murder. The interviews showcase various characters including Lizbeth Hodgson, a woman who rejected Adela’s advances; Padre Uriel, who did not welcome Adela to church because of her sexual orientation; and Don Roque Ramirez, a wealthy landowner who wanted Adela gone.
5. Princess Papaya. Himilce Novas. Arte Público Press, 2004. English.
Isabel Allende praised Princess Papaya because of “Himilce’s characters and her understanding of the Latino soul in all its guises, traditions and classes.” The novel takes the reader from the 9/11 tragedy in New York City to the political dungeons in Cuba as Novas tells the story of Roberto Lobo who seeks the help of the priestess Princess Papaya after receiving a threatening phone call. Novas weaves themes of santería, transgender identity, sexuality politics and the resistance movement in contemporary Cuba through the intertwining lives of Roberto and Victoria Lobo.
6. Tommy Stands Alone. Gloria Velásquez. Piñata Books by Arte Público Press, 1995. English.
Tommy struggles with his sexual orientation—a conflict made more difficult by his Latinx family’s traditional expectations. Distressed and confused, he attempts to take his life, which results in his hospitalization. After the incident, Tommy gets help from the school’s counselor as he tries to navigate his identity. This book in the Roosevelt High School Series is a great introduction to gender and sexuality for audiences as young as 11 years old. This coming of age story was on Norman Lear’s list of banned books.
This riveting autobiography highlights the trajectory of the groundbreaking Puerto Rican leader Antonia Pantoja. It spans from her early years as a school teacher in Puerto Rico to the moment she became the first Puerto Rican woman to receive a Medal of Freedom at the White House. n this autobiography, she revealed that she was lesbian–sparking controversy among some in the Puerto Rican community who would have preferred her sexual orientation had remained a secret. She weathered such criticisms with the patience, strength and wisdom that remain the hallmarks of her legacy, declaring “I am at peace with who I am.” This book is part of the Hispanic Civil Rights Series.
The Other Man Was Me is the poetic debut from Rafael Campo, winner of the National Poetry Series 1993 Open Competition. The collection of poems touches on various themes including immigration and sexual orientation. While the first two sections of this book focuses on immigration and family, the last explores his homosexual identity, primarily with his role as doctor and the patients he assists who are suffering from AIDS. This collection addresses what it means to be an “other” in America with honesty and courage.
The collection features previously published and never-before-published poems by queer writer Miguel Piñero. A co-founder of the Nuyorican Poet’s Cafe, Piñero died at the age of 41, leaving behind a compelling legacy of poetry and plays that reveal the harsh, impoverished lives of his urban Puerto Rican community.
The collection of three full-length plays by the queer playwright deal with the experiences of working-class Puerto Ricans in New York. The plays provide a microscopic view into life in the city and the day-to-day struggles to survive. Simpson Street, in particular, received nationwide recognition and follows a Puerto Rican family trying to escape a dead-end life in the South Bronx.
El día de la luna. Graciela Limón. Spanish translation by María de los Ángeles Nevárez. Arte Público Press, 2004. Spanish.
The Day of the Moon tells the story of the Betancourt family across four generations as their lives intertwine with that of the Tarahumara people, native to the lands the Betancourts now occupy. The story chronicles the lives of figures like Don Flavio, the patriarch, Brígida, his sister and Isadora, his daughter, while they confront family secrets including the forbidden love between Brígida and Velia. Limón mixes the intrigue of detective novels and historical customs to provide a glimpse of the Betancourt family throughout the 20th century as they eventually make their way from Southwest Mexico to Los Angeles.
This third novel by Muñoz focuses on the memories of two homosexual friends, Mario and Rosa, as they confront taboos and the loss of country, family, and lovers. The two share their experiences, spanning from their childhood in Cuba to their adulthood filled with gay bars, theaters and classified ads, that leads to them eventually ending up together in California as they face the reality of the AIDS epidemic.
Javier Franco is a PhD student in the Hispanic Studies Department. His research interests include trauma studies, queer theory, film & media studies and transvestism in 20th and 21st century Mexican literature.
¿Quién no ha dudado su hablar? Como consta en los artículos y textos de los hispanoparlantes de los Estados Unidos desde hace siglos, esta ansiedad ante el hablar español parece ser tan vieja como la injusticia. Y la metáfora no es hipérbole, considerando las fuertes demandas e ignorancias acerca de qué y cómo una comunidad debe comportarse en nuestro país.
Jesús María Alarid, abogado, maestro, y director de orquesta.
La lucha para mantener el idioma español fue largo en el naciente territorio de Nuevo México, entre 1850 y 1912 —antes de convertirse en un estado.
Con más de medio siglo de postergación, uno se imagina lo difícil que debería haber sido para el congreso aceptar a Nuevo México. Primero que su nombre inspiraba sospechas, especialmente después de la reciente guerra con México. Segundo, el territorio contaba con una población mayormente hispanoparlante. Por estas y otras razones se debatió con furor el sí y el no de añadir a Nuevo México al proyecto estadounidense.
En medio de ese alboroto político, llegó la voz del abogado, maestro y director de orquesta, Jesús María Alarid, quien defendía la dignidad de su pueblo, mediante la educación y la poesía. Extractos de sus odas, dedicadas al idioma español, se encuentran en este post. Ambas valen la pena leer en voz alta. (Recomiendo que consigan una copia de En otra voz, la antología definitiva de la literatura hispana de los Estados Unidos, donde se encuentran estos poemas, páginas 92-5.)
“El idioma español” (1889), poema de Alarid, apareció en 1889, defendiendo el idioma español, y llamando atención a la importancia de aprender un segundo idioma (el inglés):
¿Cómo podrá el corazón
Sentir otro idioma vivo?
Una lengua sensitivo,
Es muy fácil de entender
Para poder comprender
Lo que se estudia y se aprende
Pero si uno no lo entiende
Lo aprende nomás a leer.
("El idioma español")
Décadas más tarde, una vez incorporado el estado de Nuevo México, el abogado se sintió inspirado a dar pluma a su segundo poema, “La lengua española” (1912?). De este, no se sabe exactamente en qué año se publicó. Sin embargo, los temas son atemporales: que el entender el español nos llevará a entender el inglés; y que, al ocurrir esto, ahí podremos aprovechar de ambas culturas, para crear una identidad singular, juntos:
Ahora esta lengua esclava
Os pide la libertad
Y espera en vuestra piedad
Que remováis toda traba
De servidumbre y maldad.
Pues justo es que los hispanos
Estudien su lengua propia
Porque es el tesoro y copia
De recuerdos tan ufanos
De que está llena su historia.
(“La lengua española”)
Por lo menos eso fue el sueño de Alarid, y de muchos padres y madres que nos han enseñado lo mismo: el hablar español es importante. Para poder comunicar, para la identidad, y para todos. Especialmente considerando el mes celebrando la herencia hispana.
MFA Escritura Creativa del New School en Nueva York (2018), con la tesis sobre multilingüismo, y un BA en Filosofía de la Universidad de Texas en Austin (2013). Dos novelas autopublicadas, They Lived They Were (2020), y El viaje de egresados (2018), y sus cuentos se encuentran en varias revistas, Tilted House, Copperfield Review, Corvus, Acentos Review, entre otras. Por seis años enseñó inglés y español como docente en colegios públicos e institutos privados. Y por dos años vivió en Rumania donde manejó un equipo de más de 50 asesores de lenguas para una corporación multinacional. Hoy, entre su trabajo en el departamento de edición de Arte Público y sus cursos de doctorado, Iván prepara su tercera novela, sobre mochileros tejanos que exploran los templos y hostales del sudeste de Asia.
El mes de la Hispanidad en los Estados Unidos es una celebración que conmemora nuestras raíces, valores y tradiciones. En Arte Público Press queremos ser parte de tu celebración con estos títulos que seguramente te gustarán y, más allá de todo, te ofrecerán una lectura entretenida con la que te sentirás identificado. Pero, si no eres hispano y quieres aprender más sobre nuestra cultura, estos libros están aquí también para ti.
Cuando México se (re)apropia de Texas: Ensayos./When Mexico Recaptures Texas: Essays. Carmen Boullosa. Traducido por Nicolás Kanellos. Arte Público Press, 2015. Versión bilingüe.
Si de multiculturalidad hablamos, nada como el estilo de Carmen Boullosa, que juega con la ficción, la recuperación de dichos, leyendas. Y luego lo mezcla, como la vida misma, en sus ensayos con esa prosa a la que la autora ya nos tiene acostumbrades. Esta edición bilingüe no puede pasar desapercibida para conocer un poco sobre esta identidad tan peculiar de los hispanos viviendo en Texas.
Wishbone. Anna Garcia Schaper. Piñata Books by Arte Público Press, 2020. English version
Esta novela es el regalo perfecto especialmente para adolescentes que aman la literatura. Pilar es una joven que va enfrentándose con los estereotipos que la sociedad utiliza para tratar de encasillar a las personas en sus prejuicios. Pero Pilar tiene una madre, una abuela muy animosa y un grupo de amigos que la animarán a hacer la audición para una obra de teatro escolar. Pilar quiere ser actriz y esta novela nos cuenta cómo ella y su abuela tuvieron que sobreponerse a las etiquetas en las que los otros intentan muchas veces encasillarnos. Wishbone es una bella novela en la que los lazos afectivos nos demuestran su relevancia para poder vivir la vida en equilibrio.
Looking Out, Looking in: Anthology of Latino Poetry. William Luis, ed. Arte Público Press, 2012. English version.
No se dejen engañar, esta antología de poesía latina no es aquella que recopila solamente poemas sobre ser latino en los Estados Unidos (aunque también). No.
Este libro contiene temáticas muy variadas, desde los infaltables y bellos poemas de amor hasta aquellos que nos hacen pensar en la identidad, la pertenencia, la existencia humana misma. ¿Buscas poesía viva y fresca? Aquí la encuentras.
¡MANTECA! An Anthology of Afro-latin@ Poets. Melissa Castillo-Garsow, ed. Arte Público Press, 2012. English version.
Una muy completa antología de poetas que reconocen sus antepasados afrolatinos y cómo exploran su identidad entre los idiomas, los colores y las geografías. Baste poner un fragmento del poeta Tato Laviera para darnos una idea del tono de esta obra:
the internal dance of salsa
is of course plena
and permit me to say these words
in afro-spanish:
la bomba y la plena puro son
de Puerto Rico que Ismael es el
rey y es el juez
meaning the same as marvin gaye
singing spiritual social songs
a blackness in spanish
a blackness in english
mixture-met on jam sessions in central park
there were no differences in
the sound emerging from inside
soul-salsa is universal
meaning a rhythm of mixtures
with world-wide bases
did you say you want it stronger?
well, okay, it is a root called Africa
in all of us. (“The Salsa of Bethesda Fountain,” 179).
MIC DROP!
Holly Hernandez and the Death of Disco. Richie Narvaez. Arte Público Press, 2020. English version.
Para todos aquellos fans de los 70s, para todos aquellos jóvenes de corazón. Para los que nos creemos tan listos que podríamos resolver un misterio antes de terminar las páginas de un buen libro de misterio. Holly Hernandez es una niña genia, hija de un detective y de una científica, que parece tener siempre la respuesta para cualquier pregunta que le arrojen los profesores de la escuela. Esta novela tiene tan buenas recomendaciones en Goodreads que no les diré más al respecto. Una lectura genial y entretenida para cualquier fin de semana.
Women’s Tales from the New Mexico WPA: La Diabla a Pie. Editado por Tey Diana Rebolledo and María Teresa Márquez. Arte Público Press, 2000. Edición Bilingüe.
Si te interesan los cuentos cortos, si quieres un volumen de lecturas rápidas y con mucha tradición, este es el libro que necesitas en tu librero. Los textos aquí recopilados reúnen un cúmulo de historias desde cómo se hacía la miel, cómo se curaba a los enfermos, algunas son leyendas, algunas son momentos que sucedieron y se quedaron en el consciente colectivo. Si quieres escuchar la voz de las antepasadas, reconfigurar tu forma de ver el presente, aquí tienes un buen libro para ello. NPR recomendó este libro cuando se publicó. No pierdan la oportunidad de celebrar este Mes de la Hispanidad con estas lecturas.
Absolute Equality: An Early Feminist Perspective/Influencias de las ideas modernas. Luisa Capetillo. Introducción y traducción al inglés por Lara Walker. Recovery the US Hispanic Literary Heritage by Arte Público Press. Edición Bilingüe.
No Podemos hablar del Mes de la Hispanidad sin aludir a la decolonialización. Por lo mismo, desde todas las perspectivas que este término tiene, no hay mejor ejemplo que Luisa Capetillo, su vida, sus pensamientos y su obra contiene muchos ejemplos de lo que es vivir sin influencias o ideologías colonizantes. A pesar de haber vivido ya hace un buen tiempo, sus ideas y su vida dejaron testimonio de las aspiraciones feministas que se siguen debatiendo en la actualidad.
Celebrar la Hispanidad es hablar de las ideas de Capetillo, quien siempre buscó espacios para las mujeres en un mundo regido por el machismo y el heteropatriarcado.
Selected Poems of Angela de Hoyos. Edited and Introduction by Gabriela Baeza Ventura. Arte Público Press. Versión en inglés
Un verso de Angela de Hoyos puede muy bien definir la raíz de lo que el Mes de la Hispanidad significa para quienes hemos atravesado por la experiencia de la migración (aunque, viéndolo bien, en mayor o menor escala, casi todos los humanos hemos migrado alguna vez). Pondré aquí debajo el verso y dejaré que la poesía haga su magia y los lleve al deseo de leer a esta gran poeta mexicoamericana: “There is no one to succor you. You must be your own messiah.”
Writing/Righting History: Twenty-Five Years of Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage. Editado por Antonia Castañeda y Clara Lomas. Arte Público Press. Edición en inglés.
Este libro es para estudiosos, para personas que quieren cavar hondo en la lectura de voces hispanas en los Estados Unidos. Pero este libro es también un registro de las experiencias vividas por aquellas y aquellos investigadores que se han lanzado a explorar las profundidades de este enorme mar que es nuestra cultura hispana en este país. No solo hispanos provenientes de Latinoamérica, sino también de quienes comparten raíces fuera de la zona centro y sur del continente. Ya sea que tengas los demás ejemplares, este décimo volumen de la colección es un repaso infaltable que nos servirá para rastrear y fundamentar nuestra identidad hispana en los EE. UU.
My Shoes and I: Crossing Three Borders / Mis Zapatos y yo: Cruzando tres fronteras. René Colato Laínez. Piñata Books by Arte Público Press. Edición Bilingüe.
Este es un hermoso libro para nuestras niñas y niños. Una lectura que los hará pasearse por el retoque muchos niños atraviesan año tras año al buscar lograr sus sueños en un lugar mejor. Sin duda cuenta con una belleza poética que retrata una temática difícil, pero de una manera hermosa.
Arenas y trinos: Abecedario del río / Sand and Song: The ABCs of the River. Alma Flor Ada y Rosalma Zubizarreta-Ada. Ilustraciones por Gabhor Utomo. Piñata Books by Arte Público Press. Edición Bilingüe.
Este libro es una bella manera de escapar al bosque sin salir de casa. La edición es hermosa y las ilustraciones retratan fielmente cada poema, sea que lo leamos en inglés o en español. Al verlo en nuestras manos, creeríamos que es un libro infantil, pero bastará ver la primera hoja para dejarnos llevar por sus páginas hasta el final, no importando la edad que tengamos. Sin duda un gran libro para leer solo o en compañía.
Elías David Navarro estudia el Doctorado de Escritura Creativa en la University of Houston y es Asistente de investigación (Research Assistant) en Arte Público Press/Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage. Es poeta y escritor. También es editor y miembro fundador de la editorial Suburbano. Sus intereses incluyen a la literatura fractal y su capacidad de abordar distintos temas desde esta característica literaria. Su trabajo poético puede verse en el libro Instantes (Alja Ediciones, 2017) y en la revista suburbano.net/author/dcampos.
Are you looking for fun reads for the winter break? The US Latino Digital Humanities team shares some of their favorite Arte Público Press books here, which are available in e-book and print formats! Cozy up on the chilly winter days with a cup of your preferred hot beverage and dive into one of these e-books! Arte Público Press books are available at your favorite local bookstore, online distributor, and on artepublicopress.com.
La Rebelde/The Rebel by Leonor Villegas de Magnón
La Rebelde by Leonor Villegas de Magnón
Leonor Villegas de Magnón (1876-1955) was a fiery critic of dictator Porfirio Díaz and a conspirator and participant in the Mexican Revolution. She rebelled against the ideals of her aristocratic class and against the traditional role of women in her society. In 1910 Villegas de Magnón moved from Mexico to Laredo, Texas, where she continued supporting the revolution as a member of the Junta Revolucionaria (Revolutionary Council) and as an incisive editorialist in Laredo newspapers. In 1913, she founded La Cruz Blanca (The White Cross), a corps of nurses for the revolutionary forces active from the border region to Mexico City.
Many women from both sides of the border risked their lives and left their families to support the revolution. Years later, however, when their participation remained unacknowledged and was running the risk of being forgotten, Villegas de Magnón decided to write her personal account of this history. With enthralling text and 22 pages of photos, La Rebelde examines the period from 1876 through 1920, documenting the heroic actions of the women. Written in the third person with a romantic fervor, the narrative weaves Villegas de Magnón’s autobiography with the story of La Cruz Blanca.
Silent Dancing: A Partial Remembrance of a Puerto Rican Childhood by Judith Ortiz Cofer
Silent Dancing: A Partial Remembrance ofa Puerto Rican Childhood by Judith Ortiz Cofer
Silent Dancing is a personal narrative made up of Judith Ortiz Cofer’s recollections of the bilingual-bicultural childhood which forged her personality as a writer and artist. The daughter of a Navy man, Ortiz Cofer was born in Puerto Rico and spent her childhood shuttling between the small island of her birth and New Jersey. In fluid, clear, incisive prose, as well as in the poems she includes to highlight the major themes, Ortiz Cofer has added an important chapter to autobiography, Hispanic American Creativity and women’s literature.
Silent Dancing has been awarded the 1991 PEN/Martha Albrand Special Citation for Nonfiction and has been selected for The New York Public Library’s 1991 Best Books for the Teen Age.
It’s the summer of 1941, and all ten-year-old Nilda wants to do is enjoy the cool water with her friends. But two police offers responding to a call about an open fire hydrant end their fun, and their animosity is played out over and over again in Nilda’s life. She is repeatedly treated with contempt and even disgust by adults in positions of authority: teachers, nurses and social workers.
At home, though, she is surrounded by a large and loving–if somewhat eccentric–family that supports and encourages her artistic abilities. She experiences the onset of World War II and watches anxiously as several brothers go off to war; her stepfather’s poor health means he can’t work, causing serious financial difficulties for the family; one brother slinks off to the underworld, leaving behind a pregnant girlfriend, adding two more mouths to feed to the family’s already dire situation.
Named an “Outstanding Book of the Year” by The New York Times and one of the “Best Books of the Year” by the American Library Association in 1973 when it was first published, Nicholasa Mohr’s classic novel about life as an immigrant in New York City offers a poignant look at one young girl’s experiences. Issues of race, religion and machismo are realistically and movingly depicted in this groundbreaking coming-of-age novel that was one of the first by a Latina author to be hailed by the mainstream media.
The Memories of Ana Calderón/Los recuerdos de Ana Calderón by Graciela Limón
The Memories of Ana Calderón by Graciela Limón
Ana is a young girl when her father decides to move his large, motherless brood to the United States. She just knows that her life will change for the better in the U.S. “My dream was beginning to come true. I didn’t know where we were going, but I felt that each step away from the palapa would lead me to the fulfillment of what I knew was my destiny.” Ana does encounter greater opportunity, but she discovers that in the U.S. too, society, family and religion scheme to hold her back. In order to succeed, Ana must sacrifice all that she holds dear and re-make herself into a rootless and obsessed individual. But even after accomplishing this, fate still conspires against her.
From Aztec princess to slave and concubine, Hummingbird – or Huitzitzilín in her native Nahuatl – recounts her life during the Spanish conquest of Mexico. She experienced first-hand the wonder of gods’ arrival—those bearded, armored men who descended from their vessels on horseback—and the brutal devastation of her land and her people. She witnessed the obliteration of Tenochtitlán and suffered the loss of her identity, being forced to discard her traditional garb, to speak a language foreign to her tongue, and to forsake her ancestral gods.
Expressing a confidence and freedom that women have strived for centuries to attain, Huitzitzilín passionately relates her tale to Father Benito, the priest who seeks to confess and convert her, to offer her an absolution she neither needs nor wants. Instead, she forces him to see the conquest, for the first time, through the eyes of the conquered.
In Song of the Hummingbird, Limón pays homage to the pre-Columbian woman, celebrates the endurance of the human spirit in the face of cataclysm and mourns our collective loss of treasures more valuable than all the plundered gold.
Eulogy for a Brown Angel: A Gloria Damasco Mystery by Lucha Corpi
Eulogy for a Brown Angel: A Gloria Damasco Mystery by Lucha Corpi
Eulogy for a Brown Angel began a new chapter in the mystery genre with the creation of the first Chicana detective in American literature. Now available for the first time in paperback, readers can discover, or rediscover, Lucha Corpi’s dynamic detective Gloria Damasco in the classic novel that started it all.
A Chicano Civil Rights March has been disrupted by the Los Angeles police, resulting in the gruesome death of a prominent reporter. The tear gas has barely settled when a small, defiled body is left on a street in Los Angeles. A feisty political activist finds the murdered child and begins an investigation that will lead her on a trail of international conspiracy and bloody vengeance. Before long, two other people are dead, and Gloria is determined to piece the mystery together, no matter how long the search may last.
Adding to the mystery is Gloria Damasco’s dark gift, a puzzling extra-sensory awareness that forces her to confront situations in which solutions demand more than reason and logic. Eulogy for a Brown Angel is a fast-paced and suspenseful novel, packed with an assortment of interesting characters. A member of the international writers’ circle Sisters in Crime, Lucha Corpi brings the intrigue to a hard-hitting conclusion in the picturesque Wine Country of Northern California.
The Moths and Other Stories: Las Palomillas de la noche y otra relatos by Helena María Viramontes
The Moths and Other Stories: Las Palomillas de la noche y otra relatos by Helena María Viramontes
The adolescent protagonist of the title story, like other girls in this pioneering collection, rebels against her father, refusing to go to Mass. Instead, dressed in her black Easter shoes and carrying her missal and veil, she goes to her abuelita’s house. Her grandmother has always accepted her for who she is and has provided a safe refuge from the anger and violence at home.
The eight haunting stories included in this collection explore the social, economic and cultural impositions that shape women’s lives. Girls on the threshold of puberty rebel against their fathers, struggle to understand their sexuality and, in two stories, deal with the ramifications of pregnancy. Other women struggle against the limitations of marriage and the Catholic religion, which seek to keep them subservient to the men in their lives. Prejudice and the social and economic status of Chicanos often form the backdrop as women fight—with varying degrees of success—to break free from oppression.
Shedding light on the complex lives and experiences of Mexican-American girls and women, this bilingual edition containing the first-ever Spanish translation of Viramontes’ debut collection, The Moths and Other Stories, will make this landmark work available to a wider audience.
Chatita never saw “anything wrong with living on a road named for a small bloodsucking arachnid,” until her older brother explains that the road is “Garland Potter,” not Tick Road, as the kids had been calling it. “Look, little sister, just keep saying Garrapata, and see how you’ll be made fun of at school. The Americanos will really laugh at you.”
In this tender debut novel, a medley of young voices bring to life a small Mexican-American community in South Texas during the 1940s and 1950s. In this untouched world, young men depart for World War II, whispers of El Chupasangre (the bloodsucker) crawl across the countryside, a brother sacrifices the little money he has for a pastel dress for his sister, and one young girl makes a painful mistake when she disobeys her parents for a tryst with her boyfriend. Each of their lives plays out in the shadows of the world outside their small community and reflects the awakening of a generation of young Mexican Americans raised with their lives bridging two cultures.
Anne Estevis brings to life the voices of young people on the brink of change and conflict, and the coming of age of a traditional community in the modern world.
Sixteen-year-old Martha and her mother move constantly, never staying anywhere for long. So she knows better than to ask if they’ve been evicted again when her mom says they’re going on a “vacation” to meet the grandmother Martha didn’t know existed.
Laredo, Texas, is like no other city she has seen. Driving past businesses with Spanish names and colorfully painted houses with burnt lawns, Martha can’t imagine her mother living somewhere so … Mexican. At her grandmother’s pink house, Martha’s shocked and hurt when her mom abandons her, even though a part of her had been expecting it.
Suddenly, Martha must deal with a lifestyle that is completely foreign. Her grandmother doesn’t speak English, so communication is difficult, and she’s not particularly kind like most grandmothers. Even weirder, it turns out that her grandmother is revered as a healer, or curandera. And there are tons of cousins, aunts, and uncles all ready to embrace her!
Meanwhile, at Martha’s new school, she can’t be anonymous because everyone knows she’s Doña González’s granddaughter, and a girl named Marcella has it out for her. Why does she hate Martha so much?!? As Martha struggles to adjust to her new life, she can’t help but wonder why her mother left Laredo. No one is willing to discuss it, so she’ll have to unravel the secrets herself.
…y no se lo tragó la tierra/And the Earth Did Not Devour Him by Tomás Rivera
…y no se lo tragó la tierra/And the Earth Did Not Devour Him by Tomás Rivera
Adapted into the award-winning film …and the earth did not swallow him and recipient of the first award for Chicano literature, the Premio Quinto Sol, in 1970, Rivera’s masterpiece recounts the experiences of a Mexican-American community through the eyes of a young boy. Forced to leave their home in search of work, the migrants are exploited by farmers, shopkeepers, even other Mexican Americans, and the boy must forge his identity in the face of exploitation, death and disease, constant moving and conflicts with school officials.
In this new edition of a powerful novel comprised of short vignettes, Rivera writes hauntingly about alienation, love and betrayal, man and nature, death and resurrection and the search for community.
The Runaway Piggy/El cochinito fugitivo by James Luna
The Runaway Piggy/El cochinito fugitivo by James Luna
The sun shines through the windows of Martha’s Panadería onto the shelves of freshly baked treats. The bakery holds tray after tray of hot Mexican sweet bread—conchas, orejas, cuernitos, empanadas, and cochinitos—all ready for hungry customers.
In the classic tradition of The Gingerbread Man, James Luna’s piggy cookie leaps off the baking tray and takes the reader on a mad dash through the barrio, past Lorenzo’s Auto Shop, Nita’s Beauty Salon, Leti’s Flower Shop, and Juana’s Thrift Shop.
The telephone repairman, the bus driver … each person the piggy encounters is greeted by his laugh and the repeated refrain: “Chase me! Chase me down the street! But this is one piggy you won’t get to eat! I ran away from the others and I’ll run away from you!” The cochinito fugitivo avoids being eaten by the long line of people chasing him through the neighborhood streets … until he meets a crafty little girl named Rosa!
Children—and adults too—will delight in the clever piggy’s escape from Martha’s Panadería in this entertaining re-telling of a familiar story set in a colorful Latino neighborhood. A recipe to make Mexican gingerbread pig cookies is included in both English and Spanish.
Pepita Talks Twice/Pepita habla dos veces by Ofelia Duma Lachtman
Pepita Talks Twice/Pepita habla dos veces by Ofelia Duma Lachtman
Frustrated at constantly being stopped to translate, Pepita decides to stop speaking Spanish, not realizing that this means she can’t talk to her grandmother, sing with her friends, and worst of all, her dog Lobo won’t come to her when she calls him Wolf. This colorfully illustrated picture book charmingly explores the joys and benefits of bilingualism through the experiences of a little girl at the crossroads of the English and Spanish-speaking worlds.
The Gift of the Poinsettia/El regalo de la flor de Nochebuena by Pat Mora
The Gift of the Poinsettia/El regalo de la flor de Nochebuena by Pat Mora
A beautifully illustrated picture book that depicts a poor Mexican boy’ search for a special gift for the Baby Jesus, The Gift of the Poinsettia / El regalo de la flor de Nochebuena focuses on the Mexican tradition of las posadas in which villagers reenact Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter for nine nights.
Traveling from house to house, night after night, Carlos worries each day about the gift he cannot afford to give the Baby Jesus on Christmas Eve. Following each evening of the posada, Carlos excitedly tells his aunt of the sounds, tastes, and songs of Christmas that he witnesses, but his joy is shadowed by his concerns. Following the advice of his beloved Tía Nina, Carlos decides upon a magical gift that stems from the love in his heart and blossoms through the strength of his love.
Written by acclaimed children’s book author Pat Mora, with Charles Ramírez Berg, and with illustrations by Daniel Lechón, this book is sure to warm children’s hearts while demonstrating the importance of love over material things. In addition to depicting the traditional Mexican custom of las posadas, the book also illustrates other Mexican traditions such as papel picado, cascarones, and piñatas.The book also includes the text and musical annotation for the traditional songs of las posadas. The Gift of the Poinsettia will delight both English and Spanish-speaking children.
Zulema and the Witch Owl/Zulema y la Bruja Lechuza by Xavier Garza
Zulema and the Witch Owl/Zulema y la Bruja Lechuza by Xavier Garza
Zulema Ortiz is the meanest little girl in the whole wide world. She doesn’t have any friends, animals run away from her in fear, and her mom doesn’t know what to do with her. But maybe, just maybe, her almost ninety-year-old Grandma Sabina does.
When Grandma Sabina comes to live with the family, the first thing Zulema says to her is, “You sure look old and ugly.” Grandma Sabina calmly warns her rude granddaughter about the Witch Owl who prowls the night looking for mean little children, but Zulema just laughs defiantly at such a preposterous story. Nothing scares her because she’s the meanest child in the world!
So when she gets into bed one night and something begins to tap at her window, Zulema isn’t afraid at first. She’s mad. “Nobody plays tricks on me. Only I can play tricks!” But as the noise at her window continues, the insolent little girl begins to lose her bravado. And when a huge owl with glowing red eyes smashes through the window and swoops into her room, Zulema is ready to agree to its demands—even if it means promising to be nice!
In this exciting story about the consequences of being mean to others, Zulema learns something about herself and possibly her grandmother too. The imagination of children ages 4-9 will soar with this fun, suspenseful story by acclaimed author and artist Xavier Garza, whose knack for storytelling and creating lively illustrations captures the spirit of naughty Zulema.
Vincent Ventura and the Mystery of the Chupacabras/Vincent Ventura y el misterio del chupacabras by Xavier Garza
Vincent Ventura and the Mystery of the Chupacabras/Vincent Ventura y el misterio del chupacabras by Xavier Garza
When stray dogs start disappearing from the neighborhood, Vincent’s dad thinks that maybe the Animal Control Department is finally doing its job. But then, Mrs. Rangel’s celebrity chihuahua Chato, who appeared in television commercials promoting tacos, disappears. And Mrs. García’s weiner dog and Mrs. West’s poodle go missing. Everyone in the neighborhood is puzzled, but Vincent Ventura has a theory.
The disappearances started when Mr. Calaveras moved into the house at 666 Duende Street, which is rumored to be haunted. Vincent knows he’s not the harmless but grumpy guy that everyone else sees. He’s convinced the old man is behind the rash of missing dogs. In fact, Vincent is sure he’s a monster, a blood-sucking beast known as el chupacabras!
Vincent enlists the aid of his cousin Michelle, the smartest student at their school, and her twin brother Bobby to spy on the suspected killer. Vincent Ventura, monster fighter extraordinaire, is determined to catch him in the act, even if it puts them all in danger! Accompanied by the author’s dramatic black and white illustrations, this exciting short novel for ages 8 – 12 will introduce Latino creepy creatures to a new generation of readers.
The Case of the Three Kings: The Flaca Files/El Caso de los reyes magos: Los expedientes de Flaca by Alidis Vicente
The Case of the Three Kings: The Flaca Files/El Caso de los reyes magos: Los expedientes de Flaca by Alidis Vicente
Flaca, or Detective Flaca as she prefers to be called, is pleased with her Christmas gifts. Finally, she has the tools needed to do her job: a fingerprint-taking kit, a police-quality mini flashlight, and most exciting of all, police tape to block off crime scenes! However, she is not at all pleased with the airline tickets to Puerto Rico she and her sister La Bruja are given. She has case deadlines to meet! La Bruja isn’t very happy either since their grandmother’s house doesn’t have air conditioning, cable TV or Wi-Fi.
Their parents are sure the girls will enjoy celebrating Three Kings Day, a huge holiday in Latin America that takes place on January 6 and involves putting grass in a box under the bed for the wise men’s camels. Three men on flying camels sounds very suspicious to Detective Flaca, who once again is faced with a case begging to be solved. Where do the Three Kings get the gifts to put in the boxes? Do they steal presents from Santa Claus? Or do they take them from under Christmas trees around the world?
The skinny second grader first introduced in The Case of the Missing Chancleta and Other Top-Secret Cases / La chancleta perdida y otros casos secretos is back on the case in the second installment of the bilingual series, The Flaca Files / Los expedientes de Flaca. Narrated by Detective Flaca in hard-boiled detective style, this short, bilingual novel for intermediate readers will appeal to seasoned and reluctant readers alike.
Arte Público Press just celebrated Banned Books Week! (Sept. 22-28). In light of this event promoted by the American Library Association and Amnesty International, we want to present three books worth checking out.
Books get banned for a number of reasons. Although it is understandable when it comes to some, most deserve to be read. We live in an age of mass censorship. A time when free speech is hindered and people struggle to get their voices heard. This trend, however, is not something totally new. The voices of minority groups have been silenced, forgotten, and neglected in U.S. history. This has been done through many different means and is still happening through the banning of books. Without them, people may never learn about the history of different minority groups and come to a better understanding of the history that they are tied to.
In historical writing, one of the things that is valued by historians are different interpretations. One true interpretation is not possible as anything claiming to be so would overlook many historical details. This is why having different interpretations is so important. With each, we come to a fuller story of a particular historical event. Some of the types of books that help with this are ones by people who were part of these events.
Book banning perpetuates the long history of silencing different narratives.
Here are three of our very own Arte Público Press books that have been banned at some point.
One of these banned books is F. Arturo Rosales’ Chicano! The History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement. This nonfiction text chronicles an important movement in US civil rights history and is based on the four-part PBS docuseries of the same name. In addition to explaining the movement itself, Rosales begins by providing rich historical background and discussing the historical events leading up to the movement, such as the Mexican Revolution. Rosales provides a comprehensive account of the Chicano movement.
Another Arte Público Press banned book is Message to Aztlán: Selected Writings of Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales. This collection gives personal insight into the Chicana/o movement. Gonzales was a Boxer, poet and political activist and was responsible for the first Chicano youth conference in March 1969. It’s surprising that such an important historical figure’s work would be banned. Gonzales’ book contains poems, speeches, plays, and correspondence related to the Mexican American experience. By banning this book (and others like it) it could prevent other people who identify as Mexican American from discovering it and strengthening their identity.
Tomás Rivera’s …y no se lo tragó la tierra/…And the Earth Did Not Devour Him also deals with Mexican American civil rights. It is a novel about the struggles Mexican Americans had to go through as migrant farm workers. It is told through the perspective of a boy and it’s one that reaches the heart of the Mexican American community. The banning of this book in particular is very disheartening. It reflects the experiences of many Mexican Americans today in the U.S. More importantly, without ethnic literature such as this, Mexican Americans may not have the opportunity to see themselves reflected in literature.
Emiliano Orozco is a Master’s student in the History Department at the University of Houston and a Research Fellow with Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage. His research interests include the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands with an emphasis on colonial Nuevo León and early state development.
On March 14, 2019, Arte Público Press (APP) received the National Book Critics Circle Ivan Sandroff Lifetime Achievement Award in New York City. This is the transcript of the acceptance speech by the APP director and founder, Nicolás Kanellos, and the management team, Gabriela Baeza Ventura, Nellie González, Marina Tristan, and Carolina Villarroel.
NK: When we founded Arte
Público Press forty years ago, we envisioned it as part of the public art
movement. Our books would draw from and give back to the community, reflecting
its art, history and culture as well as its problems, like the muralists were
doing. That is why some of our initial book covers, such as for The House on Mango Street, were
commissioned to muralists.
MPT:
Like the mural walls,
our pages would help to make our people visible, announcing we are here, we
have always been here and we have always contributed to life and culture in the
United States. From the start, we were inclusive of all Latino ethnicities,
religions and genders, and sought to combat stereotypes while inserting
ourselves into the national identity. As we grew, the mural became a mosaic
with each book becoming an individual tile in a large spectrum of varied
images.
NG: Like our writers, we are mostly children
of the working class, the children of citizens, of families that have been here
since before the founding of the United States.
NK: I was an assembly line
worker and a shipping clerk weaving my box-laden dolly through Seventh Avenue traffic
in the garment district during the 1960s. Others come from humble backgrounds, doing
domestic work, farm work and other manual labor.
CV: We are the people
selling the morning newspaper but never appearing in it, the men and women
washing dishes and waiting tables but never savoring the meals; we are among
the crowds on city sidewalks who individually remain invisible, never thought
of as writers and artists. It matters not that we are descendants of original
settlers, intermarried with indigenous peoples and descendants of African
slaves, whether immigrants from long ago or just yesterday, because no matter
how long Latino families have resided in and contributed to the making of this
country, we have been seen as foreigners.
GBV: No matter how well we spoke and wrote the King’s English, or how faithfully we reproduced the canons of American literature and culture, our books remained foreign to the mainstream press and, with a few notable exceptions, outside the scope of national awards. Now, thanks to your magnanimity, we will become more visible, recognizable as part of this grand cultural venture that is the creation and publication of books. Muchísimas gracias.
¡Extra, Extra! The Literary Heritage of Texas, on display Sept. 7-Oct. 31, 2018 at the Central Houston Public Library
¡Extra, Extra! The Hispanic Literary Heritage of Texas is an exhibit of Spanish-language newspapers and first-edition books from the Arte Público Press/Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage collections. This is a free exhibit located on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the Central Houston Public Library (500 McKinney Street, Houston, Tex 77002). The exhibit includes rare books, newspaper facsimiles, and photographs.
On the 3rd floor, a special exhibit explains the editorial process for Piñata Books, an imprint of Arte Público dedicated to the publication—in English, Spanish and bilingual formats—of children’s and young adult literature focusing on US Hispanic culture.
This exhibit was curated by Elena V. Valdez (Rice University) and supported by a grant from the Rice University Humanities Research Center. It will be on display from September 7 through October 31, 2018.
Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage Blog 