National Hispanic Heritage Month 2021

National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15) celebrates the histories, cultures and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

Begun in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson, the observation was expanded to National Hispanic Month by President Ronald Reagan in 1988.

It traditionally honors the cultures and contributions of both Hispanic and Latino Americans as we celebrate heritage rooted in all Latin American countries. During this month and throughout the year, we, and our partners, share history, heritage, and accomplishments of Hispanic and Latino Americans of past and present.

Hispanic refers to a person who is from, or a descendant of someone who is from, a Spanish-speaking country.

Latino/a or Latinx refers to a person who is from, or a descendant of someone who is from, a country in Latin America.

The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico’s Independence Day closely follows on September 16, and Chile’s falls on September 18. Also included in this month-long observation is Columbus Day, or Día de la Raza, on October 12.

The Jacksonville Public Library recommends the following books in honor of and to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month

Adult books for National Hispanic Heritage Month

The Rise of Marco Rubio
by Manuel Roig-FranziaProfiles the Senator and rising star in the Republican Party, from his humble roots as the son of immigrants to his becoming the youngest Speaker in the history of the Florida Statehouse

My Beloved World
by Sonia SotomayorThe first Hispanic-American on the U.S. Supreme Court shares the story of her life before becoming a judge, describing such experiences as her youth in a Bronx housing project, her relationship with a passionately spiritual grandparent, the ambition that fueled her ivy-league education and the individuals who helped shaped her career. (This book was previously listed in Forecast.)

The Line Becomes a River : Dispatches From the Border
by Francisco CantúAn award-winning writer and former agent for the U.S. Border Patrol describes his upbringing as the son of a park ranger and grandson of a Mexican immigrant, who, upon joining the Border Patrol, encountered the violence and political rhetoric that overshadows life for both migrants and the police.

Like Water for Chocolate : A Novel in Monthly Installments, With Recipes, Romances, and Home Remedies
by Laura EsquivelDespite the fact that she has fallen in love with a young man, Tita, the youngest of three daughters born to a tyrannical ranch must obey tradition and remain single and at home to care for her mother. A first novel. National ad/promo. Tour.

Love in The Time of Cholera
by Gabriel García MárquezIn their youth, Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza fall passionately in love. When Fermina eventually chooses to marry a wealthy, well-born doctor, Florentino is devastated, but he is a romantic. As he rises in his business career he whiles away the years in 622 affairs–yet he reserves his heart for Fermina. Her husband dies at last, and Florentino purposefully attends the funeral. Fifty years, nine months, and four days after he first declared his love for Fermina, he will do so again

The Book of Unknown Americans
by Cristina HenríquezMoving from Mexico to America when their daughter suffers a near-fatal accident, the Riveras confront cultural barriers, their daughter’s difficult recovery and her developing relationship with a Panamanian boy. By the author of Come Together, Fall Apart. 75,000 first printing

Her Body and Other Parties : Stories
by Carmen Maria MachadoContains short stories about the realities of women’s lives and the violence visited upon their bodies

Kids books for National Hispanic Heritage Month

¡Vamos! Let’s Go to The Market
by Raúl the ThirdLittle Lobo and his dog make deliveries to marketplace vendors in a busy Mexican-American border town, in a celebration of diversity by the award-winning illustrator of the Lowriders in Space series that blends stylistically detailed graphic-art panels with clever bilingual text. 25,000 first printing. Simultaneous eBook.

Just a Minute : A Trickster Tale and Counting Book
by Yuyi MoralesWith words in both English and Spanish, a brightly illustrated counting book tells of one determined Grandma who is not willing to leave her family on her birthday and so sets out doing various tasks, like making two pots of tea and three pounds of corn for the tortillas, in order to delay Señor Calavera’s request to go with him.

Frida
by Jonah WinterWhen her mother was worn out from caring for her five sisters, her father gave her lessons in brushwork and color. When polio kept her bedridden for nine months, drawing saved her from boredom. When a bus accident left her in unimaginable agony, her paintings expressed her pain and depression – and eventually, her joys and her loves. Over and over again, Frida Kahlo turned the challenges of her life into art. Now Jonah Winter and Ana Juan have drawn on both the art and the life to create a playful, insightful tribute to one of the twentieth century’s most influential artists. Viva Frida!

Waiting for The Biblioburro
by Monica BrownWhen a man brings to a remote village two burros, Alfa and Beto, loaded with books the children can borrow, Ana’s excitement leads her to write a book of her own as she waits for the BibliBurro to return. Includes glossary of Spanish terms and a note on the true story of Columbia’s BiblioBurro and mobile libraries in other countries

Esquivel! : Space-age Sound Artist
by Susan WoodDescribes how Juan García Esquivel, a Mexican composer popular in the 1950s and 1960s, developed his experimental style of music, based on mariachi and other Mexican music, jazz, the human voice, and the use of unusual instruments

The Echo Park Castaways
by M. G. HennesseyStruggling to endure respective challenges as foster-care veterans, a diverse group of kids set aside their differences to help a newcomer on the autism spectrum to reconnect with his mother. By the author of The Other Boy. 40,000 first printing. Simultaneous eBook

Sal & Gabi Break the Universe
by Carlos Alberto Pablo HernandezIn order to heal after his mother’s death, thirteen-year-old Sal learns to reach into time and space to retrieve things–and people–from other universes

I Lived on Butterfly Hill
by Marjorie AgosínA tale inspired by the Pinochet takeover of Chile follows the experiences of young dreamer Celeste Marconi, who becomes increasingly alarmed by the disappearances of her neighbors in the wake of political unrest and then is sent away to safety by her loving parents.

The Maldonado Miracle
by Theodore TaylorWhen Jose Maldonado, a twelve-year-old Mexican boy, crosses the border illegally to join his father in California, it starts a series of events culminating in an accidental “miracle” and media frenzy, in a story being recreated in a Showtime movie. Simultaneous.