16 books & films to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month was established in 1968 when it was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. It was expanded to a 30-day celebration in 1988 by President Ronald Regan and is observed from September 15 to October 15. It’s a celebration of the history, culture, and contribution of peoples whose ancestors are from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. September 15th was chosen as it marks the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence with the “Cry of Dolores.” There are many other significant dates that contributed to timing of the celebration such as the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, as well as Independence Day for Mexico and Chile.

As a proud Boricua and Afro-Latina, I’m very excited and honored to bring you 16 book and movie recommendations—on the Libby app and Kanopy—to celebrate the contributions of the Hispanic community.

Books

Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo
🎧 Audiobook

The concept of “family” tends to be a dominating value in any Hispanic household—it definitely was in mine. Hispanic families can be loud, energetic, and full of history. I grew up hearing all the lore of my own Rodriguez family and reveled in the secrets that only kin can hold.

National Book Award-winning author Elizabeth Acevedo makes any Hispanic person coming from a large family with many differing personalities feel seen. Flor has a special gift of seeing a person’s death before it happens, so when she invites her whole family to her funeral celebration (that she wants to have while she's alive), everyone is suspicious of who was in her most recent premonition.

With a touch of magic, you’ll hang on Acevedo’s every word to uncover the truth behind the legends of the Marte women and how the unique combination of DNA and stories connects them.

Solito by Javier Zamora
🎧 Audiobook

An inspirational immigration story, Solito gives an inside look into the struggles one faces in the pursuit of safety and freedom. The author speaks from his own experience of leaving home and migrating to a new country, telling the heart-wrenching but inspiring fight for refuge.

At just nine years old, Javier made a nine-week journey from El Salvador to the United States where his parents were already residing. He traveled with strangers and faced the dangers of the night to reunite with his parents. However, he also tells of the unexpected experience of creating community amongst those migrating with him. They all looked out for each other, making a world of difference during their trek. Zamora authentically wrote his story to give voice to the many children in a similar position.

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
🎧 Audiobook

Esperanza Cordero and her family have just moved into the first home they’ve ever owned in Chicago. It’s not the dream house her family had hoped for, but they believe that home will one day come and this is only temporary. As time goes on, Esperanza finds herself wishing for an escape from the house on Mango Street, so she begins to write about the neighborhood around her and her experiences as she becomes a young woman.

We all have those childhood stories that we didn’t realize would serve as anecdotes or lessons to our adult selves. Sandra Cisneros lovingly shows the reader that we carry these experiences with us, and they play a part in shaping our identities.

Versos Sencillos by José Martí

Tropical environments have often been associated with being Hispanic. This could be because of the Spanish-speaking countries in the Caribbean, but is also due to the tropic climates in Central America.

A Cuban poet and philosopher born in 1853, Martí was widely known as the “Apostle of Cuban Independence” for his constant opposition against Spanish rule and colonialism. Although Martí died before he could see Cuba gain its independence, it was a direct result of the groundwork he laid in their fight for freedom. Martí brings to life the beauty of the tropical landscapes many Latinos call home. The rivers, the fincas, the beaches, the mango, banana, and coconut trees all have life breathed into them with Jose’s words. His sentimental verses bring a poetic intimacy to the beauty of a physical space so synonymous with our culture.

When My Brother Was an Aztec by Natalie Diaz

Natalie Diaz, a Mexican Indigenous poet, won the Pulitzer Prize in 2021 for her book Postcolonial Love Poem. With a brother (and mother) who struggle with addiction, Diaz digs deep to express a truth so visceral in this poetry collection. Insightfully honest and real, Diaz connects each poem while expressing an experience that deserves to be told and heard.

The Bewitching by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia
🎧 Audiobook

If you loved Mexican Gothic, then you’ll love this book. Moreno-Garcia poses the question “What if magic is real and someone or something has been using it to haunt my family for generations?”

Set in Massachusetts, Minerva studies the history of horror lit at graduate school. She stumbles upon a true story that is the focus of her thesis, and uncovers a mysterious entity that may be the cause of a former student’s disappearance decades before. Eerily, she thinks this entity is linked to the same darkness that haunted her great-grandmother when she was just a little girl.

Witchy magical realism, dark academia, and Hispanic culture all combine to make this book a must-read.

Libertad by Bessie Flores Zaldívar
🎧 Audiobook

With a country divided, high schooler Libertad Morazan learns how to use her poetry in protest while also beginning to understand her romantic feelings for another girl. Libertad quickly learns that being outspoken doesn’t always please those who prefer to live in simple silence and must weave through homophobia, a rising breaking point for her people, and a brother directly involved with the protests going on. She has a lot on her plate and wishes she could live in a world where she could be her undisputed self and where speaking your truth didn’t mean putting your life in danger. When something happens that changes Libi’s life forever, she’s left with a choice that may require her to flee her home in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

We Need No Wings by Ann Dávila Cardinal
🎧 Audiobook

The author of The Storyteller’s Death brings us another book with magic and generational lore. Tere Sanchez has recently lost her husband and takes a hiatus from teaching at the university while she grieves. In her grief, she begins levitating. You can imagine this is not the safest, but Tere remembers she’s related to Saint Teresa of Avila, a levitating mystic who might be able to help. Tere travels to Spain in search of Saint Teresa, but saints aren’t always so easy to find. Will she be able to find the answers she needs?

When I Was Puerto Rican: A Memoir by Esmeralda Santiago
📚 Spanish ebook
🎧 Spanish audiobook

In her memoir, Esmeralda Santiago begins her story in Macun, Puerto Rico during her childhood as the oldest of her seven siblings. She fills the book with memories of the island and the tropical fruit that anyone can find with ease, but only some know how to properly eat. When her brother has an accident, her mother moves Esmeralda and the family to New York in the hopes of providing him with better care. Santiago recounts suddenly being surrounded by an entirely new culture where she must learn the language as well as who she is in this unfamiliar world. This is a personal favorite of mine and my mother’s, as she has shared that this book recounts a similar experience that she, and many Puerto Ricans, have made growing up in the U.S.

Movies

Neruda
2016 | 1hr 47 min
Featuring Gael García Bernal, Luis Gnecco & Mercedes Moran

Pablo Neruda was a Chilean poet and politician who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1971. He was a staunch communist and was issued a warrant for his arrest when the President of Chile, Gabriel Gonzalez Videla, outlawed communism in 1948. He fled and hid amongst friends for months before making it to Argentina. He wouldn’t return for three years until after winning the Nobel Prize and Salvador Allende was the new President of Chile. It’s widely thought that Neruda was poisoned while at a hospital during the coup against Allende by Augusta Pinochet. This film, set in Chile in 1948, mixes fiction and history as the young Neruda and his wife, Delia, escape to Argentina.

West Side Story
1961 | 2hr 33min
Featuring George Chakiris, Rita Moreno & Russ Tamblyn

I still vividly remember when an eight-year-old version of myself watched West Side Story for the first time on VHS at my Madrina’s house. Growing up in suburban Cleveland, I was starved for representations of cultures like mine... until I saw this movie. This cinematic adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic Romeo & Juliet has an inner-city spin with two rival gangs, The Jets and The Sharks, who just don’t get along. The Sharks are a Puerto Rican gang who just moved to town, and The Jets want them off their turf. With lively musical numbers, flashy dresses, and forbidden love, this movie tackles complex topics with navigational precision that make for a classic.

Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It
2021 | 1hr 30min
Featuring George Chakiris, Rita Moreno & Eva Longoria

Rita was the first Hispanic Woman and third person ever to earn an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). She was also the first Hispanic woman to ever win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She had a few small roles in major musical films like Singin’ in The Rain, but skyrocketed to stardom after her breathtaking performance as Anita in West Side Story. This documentary tells the story of her life and her illustrious career and contribution to the entertainment industry. A Puerto Rican native, she brings much pride to what it means to be Boricua.

Corpus: A Home Movie for Selena
1999 | 48min
Featuring Selena Quintanilla-Perez

Tragically taken too soon, Selena left a mark on this world in her short 23 years that cannot be forgotten. With the voice of angel, Selena brought Mexican heritage directly into the spotlight. Hit singles like “Como La Flor” and “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” had non-Spanish speakers singing along. But not everyone knew the side of her when the lights went down and she walked off stage. Those who did, were lucky and hold her close to this day. Filmmakers show us this love for the Tejana star through old family videos and interviews.

I Am Cuba
1964 | 2hr 21min
Featuring Sergio Corrieri, Salvador Wood & José Gallardo

Another ‘60s classic with a technically cinematic portrayal of Caribbean culture. This film is an anthology made up of four vignettes set in pre-revolutionary Cuba. This film actually fell into relative obscurity until it was made available for screening in the U.S. in 1992 after the USSR collapsed and was eventually restored. Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola then began to promote the film, and it came back into spotlight. Although widely considered propaganda, the film’s value has been reevaluated as many of the movie’s main themes of anti-colonialism and anti-capitalism are still controversial topics today.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
2022 | 1hr 40min
Featuring Eva Longoria, Max Pelayo & Reese Gonzales

This Lin-Manuel Miranda production is based off the bestselling novel Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. It’s a coming-of-age story about two teenage Mexican boys growing up in El Paso, Texas who form a bond and find a haven within each other. They develop feelings for one another, but have to maneuver homophobia within their own community, families, and even within themselves. Ari and Dante are characters you can’t help but love and root for.

Hamilton: One Shot to Broadway
2017 | 1hr 13min
Featuring Lin Manuel Miranda, Tommy Kail & Alex Lacamoire

An immediate success, Hamilton gave Lin-Manuel Miranda well-deserved notoriety. He has won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, three Tony Awards, two Laurence Olivier Awards, two Emmys, and five (count ‘em, five!) Grammys. Don’t forget, he’s also earned two nominations for the Academy Awards, a star—not just on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but also on the Puerto Rico Walk of Fame—and multiple honorary doctorate degrees. Hamilton brought his creative genius to light and will go down in Broadway infamy forever. Watch the journey of a group who bonds while making history in America.

*Access to books and films may vary.

RELATED READ: 6 must-read books for Hispanic Heritage Month