As Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15) continues, here are some great memoirs written by Latinx authors! (Want to learn more about the term "Latinx"? Check out this article by Tanisha Love Ramirez & Zeba Blay, or use this as a perfect opportunity to try out MHL's new OED Online trial subscription! The OED link will require a login with an MHL library card if you access it from home.) These memoirs, written by actors, athletes, and authors, and more, capture just some of the breadth of the Latinx experience in the United States.
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Something to declare
by Julia Alvarez The author of the best-selling novel, How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, traces her life as the daughter of immigrants from the Dominican Republic and her efforts to assimilate and to become a writer. |
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A dream called home : a memoir
by Reyna Grande The nationally best-selling author of The Distance Between Us describes her harrowing early experiences as a first-generation Latina university student and aspiring writer who navigated racism and poverty to build a life for her family. |
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In the country we love : my family divided
by Diane Guerrero The star of Orange is the New Black and Jane the Virgin presents her personal story of the real plight of undocumented immigrants in this country. |
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Thoughts without cigarettes : a memoir
by Oscar Hijuelos The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love shares insights into the people and places that inspired his best-selling works, describing his early upbringing as the son of a Cuban hotel worker in a multicultural Manhattan neighborhood, a childhood illness in Cuba and more. |
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Becoming Maria : love and chaos in the South Bronx
by Sonia Manzano The award-winning author of The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano and influential Hispanic-American actress best known as "Maria" on Sesame Street traces her disadvantaged childhood and dreams of becoming an actress that motivated her career. |
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My voice
by Angie Martinez The influential hip-hop radio host popularly known as “The Voice of New York” shares behind-the-scenes stories of her rise to success and controversial interviews with guests ranging from presidential hopeful Barack Obama to post-prison Tupac. |
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In the Dream House : A Memoir
by Carmen Maria Machado The award-winning author of Her Body and Other Parties shares the story of her relationship with an abusive partner and how it was shaped by her religious upbringing, her sexual orientation and inaccurate cultural beliefs about psychological trauma. |
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Native country of the heart : a memoir
by Cherríe Moraga From the pioneering queer theorist Cherríe Moraga, a memoir about her relationship with her mother, and her people. |
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Rita Moreno : a memoir
by Rita Moreno The Puerto Rican singer, dancer and actress takes a look back at her life and career, from her arrival in New York at age 5 to winning an Academy Award for her role in West Side Story and beyond. |
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The closer
by Mariano Rivera The 19-year veteran pitcher for the New York Yankees describes his life, discussing the difficulties in being a Latino baseball player in the U.S., how he keeps his Christian values in professional sports and his championships and rivalries. |
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When I was Puerto Rican : A Memoir
by Esmeralda Santiago Magic, sexual tension, high comedy, and intense drama move through an enchanted yet harsh autobiography, in the story of a young girl who leaves Puerto Rico for New York's tenements and a chance for success. |
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My beloved world
by Sonia Sotomayor The first Hispanic American on the U.S. Supreme Court shares the story of her life before becoming a judge, describing her youth in a Bronx housing project, the ambition that fueled her Ivy League education, and the individuals who helped shape her career. |