Each year, we observe National Latine and Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15 by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. The theme for 2024 is “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together.”  The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15.  The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively. Finally, Day of the Races or Día de la Raza, which is October 9, falls within this 30-day period.  There are some great resources to be found at https://www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov/, but you can also visit our display area for some great reads written by and about these Americans.  Check out some of these books:

Isabel Canas is a Mexican-American speculative fiction writer.  She holds a doctorate in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations and writes fiction inspired by her research and her heritage.  Her novel “The Vampires of El Norte” is set in Mexico during the 1840s.  “As the daughter of a rancher in 1840s Mexico, Nena knows a thing or two about monsters–her home has long been threatened by tensions with Anglo settlers from the north.  But something more sinister lurks near the ranch at night, something that drains men of their blood and leaves them for dead. Something that once attacked Nena nine years ago. Believing Nena dead, Néstor has been on the run from his grief ever since, moving from ranch to ranch working as a vaquero.  But no amount of drink can dispel the night terrors of sharp teeth; no woman can erase his childhood sweetheart from his mind. When the United States invades Mexico in 1846, the two are brought abruptly together on the road to war: Nena as a curandera, a healer striving to prove her worth to her father so that he does not marry her off to a stranger, and Néstor as a member of the auxiliary cavalry of ranchers and vaqueros.  But the shock of their reunion–and Nena’s rage at Néstor for seemingly abandoning her long ago–is quickly overshadowed by the appearance of a nightmare made flesh.  And unless Nena and Néstor work through their past and face the future together, neither will survive to see the dawn.”

“Sabrina and Corina” is the first book by author Kali Fajardo-Anstine.  It is a short story collection that was a finalist for the National Book Award, the PEN/Bingham Prize, the Story Prize, the Saroyan International Prize, and winner of an American Book Award and a Reading the West Award in Fiction.  Born in Denver, Colorado, Fajardo-Anstine is the second eldest of seven siblings.  She dropped out of high school weeks into her senior year, earning her GED and going on to graduate with a BA in English and Minor in Chicana/o Studies from Metropolitan State University of Denver.  She holds an MFA from the University of Wyoming and worked for over a decade as an independent bookseller at West Side Books in North Denver.

USA Today bestselling author Jo Segura lives in the Pacific Northwest.  Her stories feature strong, passionate heroines and draw upon aspects of her life, such as her love of good food and great cocktails, dancing, her Mexican heritage, and her fascination with archaeology.  Her debut romcom “Raiders of the Lost Heart” features rival archaeologists who must team up on a “secret Aztec expedition, or it could leave their careers–and hearts–in ruins.  Archaeologist Dr. Socorro “Corrie” Mejía has a bone to pick. Literally. It’s been Corrie’s life goal to lead an expedition deep into the Mexican jungle in search of the long-lost remains of her ancestor, Chimalli, an ancient warrior of the Aztec empire.  But when she is invited to join an all-expenses-paid dig to do just that, Corrie is sure it’s too good to be true… and she’s right.  As the world-renowned expert on Chimalli, by rights Corrie should be leading the expedition, not sharing the glory with her disgustingly handsome nemesis.  But Dr. Ford Matthews has been finding new ways to best her since they were in grad school.  Ford certainly isn’t thrilled either–with everything going on in his life right now, the last thing he needs is a reminder of their rocky past.  But as the dig begins, it becomes clear they’ll need to work together when they realize a thief is lurking around their campsite, forcing the pair to keep their discoveries–and lingering attraction–under wraps.  With money-hungry artifact smugglers, the Mexican authorities, and the lies between them closing in, there’s only one way this all ends–explosively.”

You’ll find these titles and lots more in our “Celebrate Latine and Hispanic Heritage” display.  For additional title suggestions, see the lists below: