5 Books to Read for Latinx Heritage Month

A few recommendations to celebrate Latinx Heritage Month

Latinx Heritage Month is celebrated each year from September 15 through October 15 as a way to honor the history and contributions of Latinx people in the United States. This year at Gladstone, we’re celebrating with a few book recommendations.

Cover of American Like Me

American Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures

edited by America Ferrera

Hoping to create a narrative around American identity that reflected her own lived experience, America Ferrera reached out to friends and peers to share their personal stories about living between cultures. While not exclusively focused on Latinx identity, this collection of essays offers heart-warming, funny, and profound insights into the American experience.

In the Country We Love Book Cover

In the Country We Love: My Family Divided

by Diane Guerrero

When actress Diane Guerrero (Orange is the New Black) was 14, her parents and brother were arrested and deported. Since Guerrero was born in the United States, she was able to stay in the country and continue her education. But without her family, she had to rely on friends and learn to become independent. Guerrero shares her personal experience and the trauma that emerged from being abruptly separated from her family at a young age.

North From Mexico Book Cover

North from Mexico: The Spanish-Speaking People of the United States

by Carey McWilliams

Originally published in 1949, this book has become a fundamental survey of Chicano history. North from Mexico covers the cultural, political, and economic issues of Chicanos faced in the United States. While published over 70 years ago, this book remains relevant and presents a foundational history of the Southwest.

The Line Becomes a River Book Cover

The Line Becomes a River: Dispatched from the Border

by Francisco Cantú

After studying the border and border politics in college, Francisco Cantú decides he must experience it firsthand to really understand it. Cantú joins the border patrol despite the concerns of his Mexican immigrant mother. During this time and after he transitions back to civilian life, he becomes increasingly haunted by his work. The Line Becomes a River is a memoir highlighting the brutality the border can have on people on both sides of the line.

In the Dream House Book Cover

In the Dream House: A Memoir

by Carmen Maria Machado

In an entirely unique and absorbing memoir, Carmen Maria Machado confronts a past abusive relationship. Each chapter changes form as she dives critically into her upbringing, society, and the cultural narrative around domestic abuse.