During the Month of October, we recognize Hispanic Heritage Month in Ontario and Latin American Heritage Month in Canada. In the United States, National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated annually between September 15 – October 15.
These recognitions include celebrating the voices, cultures, and histories of peoples with backgrounds and ancestry from Spain, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. September 15 marks the day that El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua became independent. September 16 marks Mexico’s independence and Chile celebrates its independence on September 18. In Mexico, rather than celebrating Columbus Day, Mexico celebrates Dia de la Raza which recognizes the many Indigenous Peoples of Mexico along with their mixed European heritage.
To commemorate Hispanic and Latin Heritage Month, former UTSC graduate student librarian assistant Stefanie Torres curated the following list of books available in the U of T Libraries (UTL) and the Toronto Public Library systems to learn more about Hispanic and Latin authors and stories:
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Mexican Gothic, by. Silvia Moreno-Garcia
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Clap when you Land, by. Elizabeth Acevedo
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Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed: 15 Voices from the Latinx Diaspora, Edited by Saraciea J. Fennell
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Lost Children Archive, by. Valeria Luiselli
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The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina, by. Zoraida Cordova
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I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, by. Erika L. Sánchez
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What Would Frida Do?: A Guide to Living Boldly, by. Arianna Davis
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Of Women and Salt, by. Gabriela Garcia
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Sabrina & Corina, by. Kali Fajardo-Anstine
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Dominicana, by. Angie Cruz
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The Farming of Bones by Edwidge Danticat
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The Posthumus Memoirs of Brás Cubas by Machado de Assis
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Beka Lamb by Zee Edgell
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The Girl in the Photograph by Lygia Fagundes Telles
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The Apple in the Dark by Clarice Lispector