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Hispanic Heritage Month 2021: In the Library

Learn more about National Hispanic Heritage Month, Sept. 15 - Oct. 15

In the Library

Photograph of a standing Aaron Sanchez in a dark grey shirt and blue jeans.

Where I Come From

America's most prominent Latino chef shares the story behind his food, his family, and his professional journey  Before Chef Aaron Sanchez rose to fame on shows like MasterChef and Chopped, he was a restless Mexican-American son, raised by a fiercely determined and talented woman who was a successful chef and restaurateur in her own right--she is credited with bringing Mexican cuisine to the New York City dining scene. In many ways, Sanchez, who lost his father at a young age, was destined to follow in his mother Zarela's footsteps. He spent nights as a child in his family's dining room surrounded by some of the most influential chefs and restaurateurs in New York.

Two latina students standing together, looking down at a book.

The Latino Student's Guide to STEM Careers

This book is an essential resource that Latino/a students and families need to make the best decisions about entering and succeeding in a STEM career. It can also serve to aid faculty, counselors, and advisors to assist students at every step of entering and completing a STEM career. As a fast-growing, major segment of the U.S. population, the next generation of Latinos and Latinas could be key to future American advances in science and technology. With the appropriate encouragement for Latinos/as to enter science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers, they can become the creative innovators who will produce technological advances we all need and can enjoy--from faster tech devices to more energy efficient transportation to cures for diseases and medical conditions.

Yellow green background with a drawing of a dragon in a hot pink color. Drawing of a warrior dancing in front of it.

Graphic Borders

From the influential work of Los Bros Hernandez in Love & Rockets, to comic strips and political cartoons, to traditional superheroes made nontraditional by means of racial and sexual identity (e.g., Miles Morales/Spider-Man), comics have become a vibrant medium to express Latino identity and culture. Indeed, Latino fiction and nonfiction narratives are rapidly proliferating in graphic media as diverse and varied in form and content as is the whole of Latino culture today. Graphic Borders presents the most thorough exploration of comics by and about Latinos currently available.

Cover has six cartoon portaits of famous Hispanic poets.

Bravo!

Musician, botanist, baseball player, pilot--the Latinos featured in this collection,Bravo!,come from many different countries and from many different backgrounds. Celebrate their accomplishments and their contributions to a collective history and a community that continues to evolve and thrive today! Biographical poems include: Aida de Acosta, Arnold Rojas, Baruj Benacerraf, César Chávez, Fabiola Cabeza de Baca, Félix Varela, George Meléndez, José Martí, Juan de Miralles, Juana Briones, Julia de Burgos, Louis Agassiz Fuertes, Paulina Pedroso, Pura Belpré, Roberto Clemente, Tito Puente, Ynes Mexia, Tomás Rivera

Photograph of Sonia Sotomayor dressed in black.

My Beloved World

The first Hispanic and third woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor has become an instant American icon. Now, with a candor and intimacy never undertaken by a sitting Justice, she recounts her life from a Bronx housing project to the federal bench, a journey that offers an inspiring testament to her own extraordinary determination and the power of believing in oneself. Here is the story of a precarious childhood, with an alcoholic father (who would die when she was nine) and a devoted but overburdened mother, and of the refuge a little girl took from the turmoil at home with her passionately spirited paternal grandmother. But it was when she was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes that the precocious Sonia recognized she must ultimately depend on herself. She would learn to give herself the insulin shots she needed to survive and soon imagined a path to a different life.

White plate with two chicken enchiladas covered with a red-brown colored salsa, topped with a white cheese.

The Enchilada Queen Cookbook

Better than going out for Mexican food! Mexican food--by which most of us mean Tex-Mex--is a favorite from Los Angeles to New York and everywhere in between. And the heart of great Tex-Mex cooking comes from home kitchens along the Rio Grande. In THE ENCHILADA QUEEN COOKBOOK, Sylvia Casares gives you the best of the best, including tricks and simple techniques to turn any dish from appetizing to amazing. You'll learn how to make her Holy Trinity spice paste; why you should use certain key shortcuts, such as chicken bouillon, in some dishes; and how to do her tortilla-changing Texas Two-Step marinating technique. And after you've picked your favorites from her 14 key sauces, you'll make unbelievable food for a family or a crowd, including: --Cheese Enchiladas with Chili Gravy --Spinach Enchiladas with Salsa Verde --Shrimp Enchiladas with Salsa Veracruzano --Stewed Chicken Breast Enchiladas with Salsa Mole And the Enchilada Queen is an expert in more than just enchiladas.

Black and white photograph of Cesar Chavez ina plaid shirt.

The Crusades of Cesar Chavez

National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist Winner of the California Book Award A searching portrait of an iconic figure long shrouded in myth by a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of an acclaimed history of Chavez's movement. Cesar Chavez founded a labor union, launched a movement, and inspired a generation. He rose from migrant worker to national icon, becoming one of the great charismatic leaders of the 20th century. Two decades after his death, Chavez remains the most significant Latino leader in US history. Yet his life story has been told only in hagiography--until now. In the first comprehensive biography of Chavez, Miriam Pawel offers a searching yet empathetic portrayal. Chavez emerges here as a visionary figure with tragic flaws; a brilliant strategist who sometimes stumbled; and a canny, streetwise organizer whose pragmatism was often at odds with his elusive, soaring dreams. He was an experimental thinker with eclectic passions--an avid, self-educated historian and a disciple of Gandhian non-violent protest. Drawing on thousands of documents and scores of interviews, this superbly written life deepens our understanding of one of Chavez's most salient qualities: his profound humanity. Pawel traces Chavez's remarkable career as he conceived strategies that empowered the poor and vanquished California's powerful agriculture industry, and his later shift from inspirational leadership to a cult of personality, with tragic consequences for the union he had built.The Crusades of Cesar Chavezreveals how this most unlikely American hero ignited one of the great social movements of our time.

Artist drawing of a tree with a male and female figure in black with colorful green and peach leaves.

Cool Salsa

Growing up Latino in America means speaking two languages, living two lives, learning the rules of two cultures.Cool Salsa celebrates the tones, rhythms, sounds, and experiences of that double life. Here are poems about families and parties, insults and sad memories, hot dogs and mangos, the sweet syllables of Spanish and the snag-toothed traps of English. Here is the glory--and pain--of being Latino American. Latino Americans hail from Cuba and California, Mexico and Michigan, Nicaragua and New York, and editor Lori M. Carlson has made sure to capture all of those accents. With poets such as Sandra Cisneros, Martín Espada, Gary Soto, and Ed Vega, and a very personal introduction by Oscar Hijuelos, this collection encompasses the voices of Latino America. By selecting poems about the experiences of teenagers, Carlson has given a focus to that rich diversity; by presenting the poems both in theiroriginal language and in translation, she has made them available to us all. As you move from memories of red wagons to dreams of orange trees to fights with street gangs, you feelCool Salsa's musical and emotional cross rhythms. Here is a world of exciting poetry for you, y tú también.

Photograph of Frida Kahlo looking away from the camera.

Frida Kahlo at Home

Frida Kahlo at Home explores the influence of Mexican culture and tradition, La Casa Azul and other places Frida Kahlo called home, on her life and work.

Photograph of

Jenni - Her Real Name Was Dolores

The untold story of the iconic Jenni Rivera through the perspective of her former managers, Pete Salgado and Gabriel Vazquez and it will be the basis for a TV series that airs on Univision. This book will take us into the boiler room and offer a behind-the-scenes look into the strategies and moments that lead to national headlines. Pete Salgado was Jenn's longstanding manager, considered by Jenn her fifth bother, he worked with her for nearly a decade, and helped negotiate many of her deals. She shared things with him she did not with others, and he came to know her in ways no one else did. The months before Jenni's death were filled with betrayals and disappointments from those she most loved and trusted. Salgado addresses that and takes readers deep inside some cryptic tweets Jenni posted as well of answering very difficult questions such as: Did Chiquis have an affair with Jenni's husband, Esteban? Who really was the person Jenni called El Pelón and tweeted about, and what did he mean to her? Was Jenni embroiled with the drug cartel? Did the notorious narco El Barbie mistreat her? Was she going to buy a plane? Was Jenni's death truly an accident?

Cover has four photographs: two in black and white in opposit corners showing a building in Cuba and the other shows six ladies in dresses sitting together on a long bench.  The two color phorgraphs in opposite corners are of food presented on white plates.

Cocina Cubana

350 recetas clasicas que captan la esencia del paladar criollo En Cocina cubana, Raquel Roque ha juntado las recetas mas queridas de su familia para ofrecer toda una selecci n de platos suculentos a los amantes de la cocina cubana. Tanto los expertos como los principiantes querran aprovechar esta oportunidad de preservar para las generaciones venideras la rica tradici n culinaria de la isla, o de experimentarla por primera vez. Las recetas incluidas aqui reflejan lo mejor de dos mundos -el mundo colonial espanol y el mundo criollo-, creando asi una mesa variada y sabrosa, salpicada de la saz n que define la cultura caribena. Esta nueva edici n de Cocina cubana comparte la historia detras de cada receta, y cuenta con cinco capitulos nuevos de c cteles, batidos, sandwiches, comida para bebes y recetas tipicas de otros paises latinoamericanos. Ademas incluye recetas de cubanos ilustres, tales como- Pollo guarachero de Celia Cruz Pavo Saralegui de Cristina Saralegui Frijoles negros de Victor's Cafe Flan de la abuela Yiyita del Padre Alberto Picadillo de carne de Carlos Eire La cocina cubana es una combinaci n de colores y sabores que invita por si sola a sentarse a la mesa para saborear y disfrutar de un plato de arroz con frijoles y platanos maduros. Desde sopas y c cteles hasta mariscos y carnes, Cocina cubana es la colecci n mas comprensiva de las renombradas recetas de Cuba, detalladas en pasos sencillos que renovaran su entusiasmo por la cocina.

Title with black lettering set aganist a gold background, centered in the middle the book cover; various colorful tile surrounding the title text box.

100 Hispanics You Should Know

Meet 100 Hispanics from around the world and throughout history who have lived amazing lives. This guide covers well known celebrities, such as actress Rita Moreno, activist César Chavéz, and musician Pablo Casals as well as more obscure individuals, such as Ellen Ochoa (inventor and first Hispanic female astronaut), Agustin Lara (a renowned Mexican composer), and Jose Capablanca (one of the greatest chess players of all times). Many of these individuals have made significant contributions to science, literature, politics, and other fields of human endeavour. Some more notorious, but equally fascinating characters are included as well. Brief biographical sketches are accompanied by bibliographies of resources, where readers can find more information. Grades 6-12.

An artist drawing of a human head facing to the left; the hair is blue, face is gold, and the mouth area is red with pink lips.  Small pink and red hearts coming up the neck area.

Aztlán to Magulandia

The first monograph on the work of Californiaborn artist, Gilbert "Magu" Luján, this book reveals how Magu's iconic Chicano art influenced contemporary art and culture. The work of this important sculptor, spokesperson, and teacher is seen from a variety of cultural perspectives in this book, which draws upon the artist's entire oeuvre and places well-known works alongside unpublished drawings, paintings, sculptures, notebooks, and statements. Designed in a large format to complement Magu's bold use of color, the book includes essays addressing such topics as the concept of emplacement, gender and the imagery of lowriders, and Magu as a social artist.

Photgraph of Sandra Cisneros sitting on a padded bench, left leg bent.  She is wearing  white long sleeved shirt with blue jeans.

A House of My Own

From the author of The House on Mango Street, a richly illustrated compilation of true stories and nonfiction pieces that, taken together, form a jigsaw autobiography--an intimate album of a beloved literary legend. From the Chicago neighborhoods where she grew up and set her groundbreaking The House on Mango Street to her abode in Mexico in a region where "my ancestors lived for centuries," the places Sandra Cisneros has lived have provided inspiration for her now-classic works of fiction and poetry. But a house of her own, where she could truly take root, has eluded her. With this collection--spanning three decades, and including never-before-published work--Cisneros has come home at last. Ranging from the private (her parents' loving and tempestuous marriage) to the political (a rallying cry for one woman's liberty in Sarajevo) to the literary (a tribute to Marguerite Duras), and written with her trademark lyricism, these signature pieces recall transformative memories as well as reveal her defining artistic and intellectual influences. Poignant, honest, deeply moving, this is an exuberant celebration of a life in writing lived to the fullest.

Un Toque de Sabor Latino

This book presents a bilingual introduction to five Spanish-speaking countries and one commonwealth: Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Puerto Rico. Each chapter combines simple, tantalizing recipes with general and cultural information, suggestions for additional learning opportunities, vocabulary, a short fiction reading list, and Internet resources. The Latino population is the fast-growing minority in this country, and educational resources for and about Hispanics remain scarce. The purpose of this bilingual work is two-fold: to introduce young Americans to diverse Latino cultures and to build cultural awareness among Hispanic students. It is also hoped that the material will help bridge the generations in Hispanic families--between older family members with limited English, and younger members with limited Spanish. Focusing on countries with significant immigration populations in the United States, this book offers educators and librarians tools to explore the cultures of Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Colombia--with geographical and statistical information, history, recipes, resources, learning extensions, and sources for further information. Chapters present background information about the countries, including images of the flags, maps, and coats of arms, followed by simple recipes that can be prepared by young people. Recipes feature ingredients and agricultural products of the countries with brief descriptions and illustrations. A list of learning opportunities and a more detailed learning launch helps educators extend learning throughout the curriculum. Brief English-Spanish vocabulary lists are also included. Resources for further learning direct users to pertinent Web sites and print materials. The book concludes with a glossary of cooking terms and techniques, utensils, and ingredients and a general bibliography. Grades 4-8.

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