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Photos: Running Press Kids; Con Todo Press; Wisconsin Historical Society Press By Sofía Aguilar March 11, 2025 – 11:00 When it comes to publishing, Latina representation remains low but that doesn’t mean our stories haven’t been told and our community uplifted thanks to the work of Latinx writers. That’s why we decided to put together a round-up of books about Latina history , many of them by Latina writers, academics, educators, and historians, that you need to read. From a deep dive into Latina leaders throughout history to Latina literature from the 19th century, these books cover moments in our community’s history that often go overlooked in history books and school curriculums. This is by no means an exhaustive list but a starting place as you put together your reading list for March. Read on to learn more about 17 books about Latina history that you need to read for Women’s History Month and all year round. Nuestra América: 30 Inspiring Latinas/Latinos Who Have Shaped the United States by Sabrina Vourvoulias Photo: Running Press Kids Nuestra América by Sabrina Vourvoulias is a book for kids with profiles of 30 Latinx changemakers who have contributed to the culture, society, and political life of the U.S. Covering their cultural background, challenges, and professional journeys, each biography is paired with a painted portrait. Some of the figures that are profiled include Sylvia Acevedo, Pura Belpré, Martha E. Bernal, Julia de Burgos, and Sandra Cisneros. The book also includes a glossary of terms, discussion questions, and reading guide, and it’s also available to purchase or read in Spanish. Stay connected! Subscribe now and get the latest on culture, empowerment, and more. SIGN ME UP! This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and Google Privacy Policy and the Terms of Service . Thank You! You are already subscribed to our newsletter Latina Issues: Fragments of Historia(ella) (Herstory) by Antoinette Sedillo López Photo: Routledge Latina Issues is an anthology that shines a much-needed spotlight on Latina history and the contributions Latinas have made throughout history. In contrast to how Latin American and Latinx history often focuses on men, the book focuses on Latinas and their perspectives on colonization, gender, race, and class. It is edited by Antoinette Sedillo López, an attorney and retired professor who is currently serving as a State Senator in New Mexico. Somos Latinas: Voices of Wisconsin Latina Activists by Andrea-Teresa Arenas and Eloisa Gómez Photo: Wisconsin Historical Society Press Somos Latinas by educators Andrea-Teresa Arenas and Eloisa Gómez features stories from 25 Latina activists based out of Wisconsin. From demonstrators to community organizers to behind-the-scenes helping hands, the book serves as a testament to the long, rich history of Latina activism in Wisconsin. Featuring interviews and essays, these stories of everyday but extraordinary women are a huge inspiration to the next generation of Latina activists across the U.S. The book also features a foreword by civil rights activist Dolores Huerta. Courageous History Makers: 11 Women from Latin America Who Changed the World by Naibe Reynoso Photo: Con Todo Press Courageous History Makers by Naibe Reynoso is a children’s picture book that features biographies of 11 women from Latin America who have significantly contributed to various fields including science, sports, the arts, journalism, and politics. From Frida Kahlo to Rigoberta Menchu, Celia Cruz to Hermelinda Urvina, the book uplifts extraordinary Latinas from their childhoods to their successes. Written in a unique rhyming verse, the book is presented in a bilingual English-Spanish format. Latinas: Struggles & Protests in 21st Century USA by Iris Morales Photo: Red Sugarcane Press, Inc. Latinas : An Anthology of Struggles & Protests in 21sr Century USA is a poetry and prose anthology featuring contributions from poets, activists, educators, artists, and journalists, many of whom also engage in community organizing and university teaching. The book focuses on their lived experiences, how they understand gender, and how their experiences as women are shaped by class, race, ethnicity, national origin, and immigration status. Featuring poems, personal narratives, blog posts, lyrics, excerpts from plays, artwork, scholarly essays, and herstories, each piece imagines a different world of sisterhood, harmony, humane living, and synthesis with the Earth. Ultimately, it looks forward to the future, centering feminism as a means to end misogyny at both individual and systemic levels. It’s edited by Iris Morales, an activist who became known for transforming the Puerto Rican gang Young Lords into a community activist group and breaking apart its patriarchal structure in the ’70s. Daughters of Latin America : Writings by Latine Women by Sandra Guzman Photo: Amistad Daughters of Latin America is an anthology of poems and prose from 140 Latinx, Black, and Indigenous writers, poets, leaders, shamas, scholars, and activists from all over the world. Spanning time, genres, and place, the book is divided into 13 parts and themes to represent the 13 Mayan Moons. Contributors include historical icons and award-winners like U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón and Haitian-American writer Edwidge Danticat, as well as powerful Latina writers and leaders like Elizabeth Acevedo, Julia Alvarez, Angie Cruz, Naima Coster, and U.S. Representative Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez. This isn’t just a collection of writings, it’s an ode to those elders who came before and the new voices on the rise. And fun fact — it was edited by former Latina magazine editor and author of The New Latina’s Bible Sandra Guzmán. Latina Histories and Cultures: Feminist Readings and Recoveries of Archival Knowledge by Montse Feu and Yolanda Padilla Photo: Arte Publico Press Latina Histories and Cultures by Montse Feu and Yolanda Padilla is a collection of 15 essays exploring different Latina histories, stories, and cultures from the 19th century to 1980. Incorporating personal and institutional archives, literature, and oral history, each essay centers Latina feminist theory and shows how sex and gender, as well as other identities like race, class, sexuality, language and nationality, must be considered in larger Latinx literature and research. Broken up into four sections, the essays range in subject, from the literature of Latina authors María Amparo Ruiz de Burton and María Cristina Mena, to the Chicana activist movement in 1970s Wyoming. It also features queer, Afro-Latinx, and Indigenous voices throughout the text to create a more comprehensive look at the important legacy that Latinas have in the U.S. The Latina Trailblazer: Inspiring Stories From Latinas Who Overcame Adversity and Forged a New Path by Janet Escobar Photo: New Degree Press The Latina Trailblazer by Janet Escobar focuses on the world of education and higher academia, defining what it means to move through the world as an “ambitious Latina.” Discussing impostor syndrome, cultural celebration, and mental health, the book dives deep into what it means to occupy white, non-Latinx spaces. Throughout the book, Escobar also features stories from other inspiring, empowered Latinas who have made it despite all odds to demonstrate what can truly be possible for our community. Inspirational Stories for Hispanic Girls: History of Hispanic Women That Made a Difference by Griselda Cervera Photo: Griselda Cervera Inspirational Stories for Hispanic Girls by Griselda Cervera features a collection of 10 stories from Latin American women who have made an undeniable impact on their respective fields. From culture and art to science and politics, the book discusses their early life and all the struggles and challenges they faced, ultimately overcoming them to get to their rightful place of success of legacy. Latinas in the United States: A Historical Encyclopedia by Vicki L. Ruiz and Virginia Sánches Korrol Latinas in the United States by Vicki L. Ruiz and Virginia Sánches Korrol is an encyclopedia exclusively focused on the contributions of Latin American women to the economy and culture of U.S. Made up of more than 580 entries contributed by more than 200 scholars and writers. The book focuses on a variety of topics including mestizo settlement, pioneer life, migration, cultural tradition, labor, gender roles, community organizing, colonialism, racism, discrimination, sexism, poverty, and diasporic communities. It showcases women in different roles of settlers, comadres, landowners, organizers, and nuns across time and place: during and after colonization and conquest, Puerto Rican and Cuban migration in the early 19th century. The book also features more than 300 photographs and entries with individual biographies of women who have left their mark on the historical and cultural fabric of the U.S. Notably, it’s the first comprehensive research project that focuses its scholarship on Latinas and how they’ve shaped the country through mutual aid and collective organization. Chicago Latina Trailblazers: Testimonios of Political Activism by Rita D. Hernández, Leticia Villarreal Sosa, and Elena R. Gutiérrez Photo: University of Illinois Press Chicago Latina Trailblazers by Rita D. Hernández, Leticia Villarreal Sosa, and Elena R. Gutiérrez features testimonies from Latina leaders in Chicago, primarily from Mexican and Puerto Rican communities, who have worked to shape the history of their city from the 1960s to current day. Many times, they were the only Latina in the room, the first Latina in their position or at their institution altogether. Yet, they worked to advance their agendas, forge relationships and alliances, and generate much-needed resources for their people through grassroots efforts. Later, these grew to impact public schools, healthcare, politics, and media, transforming hundreds of lives and still being felt in the city together. Contributors include activists and authors Ana Castillo, Maria B. Cerda, Carmen Chico, Aracelis Flecha Figueroa, Aida Luz Maisonet Giachello, and Mary Gonzales, among others. Latinitas: Celebrating 40 Big Dreamers by Juliet Menéndez Photo: Henry Holt & Co. Latinitas by Juliet Menéndez is a collection of 40 biographies of women from Latin America and the U.S., each focusing on the moments in their early life and childhoods that set them on their path for success. Paired with hand-painted illustrations, these stories hope to serve as sources of inspiration and empowerment for Latinas of all ages. Some of the icons featured in the book include Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Selena Quintanilla, Evelyn Miralles, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, and Juana Azurduy de Padilla. Remarkable Latina Women of Rhode Island: Fifty Inspiring Stories in Half a Century by Nancy Patino Sanchez Photo: Stillwater River Publications Remarkable Latina Women of Rhode Island by Nancy Patino Sanchez tells the stories of 50 migrant women from Latin America and the Caribbean who immigrated to the U.S. and changed the fabric of the state where they made a new home for themselves: Rhode Island. Featuring different LATAM and Caribbean cultures, each story demonstrates how love — for themselves, their families, their children — motivated them to search for a better life elsewhere. The book also features stories from women of various ages, making it perfect for women readers of any age to enjoy. Latinas/os in New Jersey: Histories, Communities, and Cultures by Aldo A. Lauria Santiago and Ulla D. Berg Photo: Rutgers University Press Latinas/os in New Jersey by Aldo A. Lauria Santiago and Ulla D. Berg is an anthology that focuses on the migrations of Caribbean and Latin American migrants to New Jersey since the 1890s. Thanks to the state’s economy, suburbs, and public sector, it has been a coveted site of relocation for thousands of migrants and their descendants. Almost a century later, Latinx communities, backed by women, have established themselves as a formidable presence in the political landscape: being elected and serving as mayors, council members, social and community leaders, and state-level officers. Incorporating scholarship and first-hand accounts, the book explores the history of Latinx communities in New York, migration from cities to suburbs, economic and social mobility, education, organizing, criminal justice reform, electoral politics, and undocumented life. Telling to Live: Latina Feminist Testimonios by The Latina Feminist Group Photo: Duke University Press Books Telling to Live by The Latina Feminist Group is an anthology that features testimonies and life stories from Latina feminists, poets, oral historians, literary scholars, ethnographers, and psychologists from different class, religious, ethnic, racial, linguistic, sexual, and national backgrounds. Each contributor focuses on how they became a self-made and motivated thinker, writer, and storyteller. Featuring stories, poetry, memoirs, and reflections from Puerto Rican, Chicana, Native American, Mexican, Cuban, Dominican, Sephardic, mixed-heritage, and Central American women, they offer grounded and inspiring words on feminism, culture, and heritage. Ultimately, this is a book about a group of Latinas who, across generations, are trying to find their place in the U.S. at the end of a century. Contributors include Luz del Alba Acevedo, Norma Alarcón, Celia Alvarez, and Ruth Behar, among others. Women in Latin America and the Caribbean: Restoring Women to History by Marysa Navarro and Virginia Sánchez Korrol Photo: Indiana University Press Women in Latin America and the Caribbean by Marysa Navarro and Virginia Sánchez Korrol takes a look at the role of women and gender in Latin American during pre-colonization times. The authors examine the cultures, practices, and beliefs of Indigenous groups, as well as the changes they faced following Spanish and Portuguese conquest. The role the women played in the struggle for independence from colonizing forces, as well as how that role changed from 1880 to 1930s, is also examined. Through individual portraits, research, and literature of the time, the authors explore double standards, exploitation, and inequality across class and ethnic groups, bringing to light a formerly forgotten and invisible history. The Afro-Latin@ Reader: History and Culture in the United States Edited by Miriam Jiménez Román The Afro-Latin@ Reader edited by Puerto Rican scholar and activist Miriam Jiménez Román focuses people of African descent from Latin America and the Caribbean living in the U.S. The contributions including first-person accounts of growing up Afro-Latinx, an essay by a leader of the Young Lords, and analyses of U.S. census data on race and ethnicity, as well as in pieces on gender and sexuality, major-league baseball, and religion. It includes essays by Josefina Baéz, María Rosario Jackson, Marianela Medrano, Nancy Raquel Mirabal, Yvette Modestin, and Marta Moreno Vega. 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