My Thoughts:
Just in time for Hispanic heritage month, this beautiful book of essays, short stories, poems, and comics by contemporary YA authors celebrates the trauma and resistance of Mexican American youth. This mixed media anthology is more than just stories about being American. It is more than just stories about embracing the Mexican culture. This is about living beyond those made up borders and corners or checkboxes.
With school starting up again, I find reading shorter pieces fits nicely into the smaller segments of time I have to read. It also introduces me to authors that I want to add to my TBR list, so I thought I would just share three bookmarked pieces.
"Filiberto's Final Visit" by Francisco X. Stork
Francisco X. Stork, author of Illegal and Disappeared knows how to infuse his work with mysterious characters like Filiberto. Filiberto comes into the main character's life for one Saturday night and teaches him the true meaning of "dignidad."
"Morning People" by Diana López
Family road trip, family drama, grandparents, camping, Yellowstone, fighting sisters, and a shifting dynamic between cousins. This is less a cultural story and more a story about a typical family that could happen anywhere in the world. It is the universality of this experience that makes it stand out.
"La Princessa Mileidy Dominguez by Rubén Degollado
In my job as faculty in a teacher preparation program, this is just a feel good story about a principal, a whole school that takes care of marginalized students. This is definitely a feel good Cinderella story without the mean people. What happens when a school not only has an adult advocate for everyone, but a whole staff of advocates? This is a must read. It will make you feel hopeful about the potential of our schools.
From the Publisher:
Twenty stand-alone short stories, essays, poems, and more from celebrated and award-winning authors make up this YA anthology that explores the Mexican American experience.
With works by Francisco X. Stork, Guadalupe Garcia McCall, David Bowles, Rubén Degollado, e.E. Charlton-Trujillo, Diana López, Xavier Garza, Trinidad Gonzales, Alex Temblador, Aida Salazar, Guadalupe Ruiz-Flores, Sylvia Sánchez Garza, Dominic Carrillo, Angela Cervantes, Carolyn Dee Flores, René Saldaña Jr., Justine Narro, Daniel García Ordáz, and Anna Meriano.
In this mixed-media collection of short stories, personal essays, poetry, and comics, this celebrated group of authors share the borders they have crossed, the struggles they have pushed through, and the two cultures they continue to navigate as Mexican Americans. Living Beyond Borders is at once an eye-opening, heart-wrenching, and hopeful love letter from the Mexican American community to today's young readers.
A powerful exploration of what it means to be Mexican American.
With works by Francisco X. Stork, Guadalupe Garcia McCall, David Bowles, Rubén Degollado, e.E. Charlton-Trujillo, Diana López, Xavier Garza, Trinidad Gonzales, Alex Temblador, Aida Salazar, Guadalupe Ruiz-Flores, Sylvia Sánchez Garza, Dominic Carrillo, Angela Cervantes, Carolyn Dee Flores, René Saldaña Jr., Justine Narro, Daniel García Ordáz, and Anna Meriano.
In this mixed-media collection of short stories, personal essays, poetry, and comics, this celebrated group of authors share the borders they have crossed, the struggles they have pushed through, and the two cultures they continue to navigate as Mexican Americans. Living Beyond Borders is at once an eye-opening, heart-wrenching, and hopeful love letter from the Mexican American community to today's young readers.
A powerful exploration of what it means to be Mexican American.
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