In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, the UTSA Libraries’ peer coaches reached out to members of the UTSA community for book recommendations by Latinx authors or about Hispanic, Chicano or Latino culture and heritage.
Check out this list of recommendations!
“I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter”
by Erika L. Sánchez
Erika L. Sánchez’s contemporary, coming-of-age YA novel centers around the pressures, expectations, and stereotypes of growing up in a Mexican-American home. Explore more on Good Reads.
» Recommended by UTSA student Silvia Lira-Perez, cybersecurity and information systems major
“Chicano Eats: Recipes from My Mexican-American Kitchen”
by Esteban Castillo
Esteban Castillo, creator of the popular Chicano Eats blog, brings his musings to life in this book featuring diverse flavors and foods of Chicano cuisine. Explore more on Good Reads.
» Recommended by UTSA student Anna Flores, computer science major
“The Distance Between Us”
by Reyna Grande
Reyna Grande's memoir covers her tumultuous early years, capturing the confusion and contradictions of childhood, especially one spent torn between two parents and two countries. Explore more on Good Reads.
» Recommended by UTSA student Cristina Ortiz, Spanish major
“Everyone Knows You Go Home”
by Natalia Sylvester
Born in Lima, Peru, author Natalia Sylvester explores family, immigration and sacrifices made for a better future in her novel set on the U.S.-Mexico border. Explore more on Good Reads.
» Recommended by Aleena Fernandez, UTSA master’s candidate, English
“Sal and Gabi Break the Universe”
by Carlos Hernandez
What would you do if you had the power to reach through time and space and retrieve anything you want, including your mother, who is no longer living? This youth novel takes readers on a sci-fi adventure with Cuban influences. Explore more on Good Reads.
» Recommended by Rey Villanueva, UTSA doctoral candidate, anthropology
“Redeeming La Raza: Transborder Modernity, Race, Respectability, and Rights”
by Gabriela González
UTSA professor Dr. Gabriela González’s work examines efforts of activists to create a dignified place for ethnic Mexicans in American society by challenging white supremacy and the segregated world it spawned. Explore more on Good Reads.
» Recommended by Alex Sundin, UTSA alumnus, Class of 2020