University Libraries
Celebrate Latinx Heritage
By Scott N. West
When I started drafting this blog post, I was initially tempted to list the many — and I mean many — resources available in the University Libraries to anyone interested in learning more about Latinx cultures. We have resources throughout the general print collection; a multitude of databases and electronic resources in Roesch Library; and numerous opportunities in the Marian Library, the U.S. Catholic Special Collection and the University Archives. In fact, we have a resource guide dedicated to Latinx Heritage Month.
As an alternative, I decided to look at three areas that capture my particular interest.
First, Latinx authors are being featured in Roesch Library’s Leisure Reading Collection. The list features a pretty broad interpretation of the term “Latinx” but captures most genres and reading interests.
- Silvia Moreno-Garcia exploded onto the literary scene with Mexican Gothic, and this includes her two most recent works: Velvet Was the Night is a piece of suspense fiction set in Mexico City, while The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is an homage to the H.G. Wells classic The Island of Dr. Moreau.
- The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas is another suspenseful work with a good dose of paranormality.
- Isabel Allende is a personal favorite, and her book Violeta is on my to-be-read list.
- There are even some young adult titles like Raquel Vasquez Gilliland’s How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe, winner of the Pura Belpré Award, and Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World (Benjamin Alire Saenz).
- Additional fiction works include Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez (part of the Diversity and Social Justice Reading List) and Marytza Rubio’s short-story collection Maria, Maria.
- Nonfiction options include two memoirs in Crying in the Bathroom (Erika Sanchez) and Ordinary Girls (Jaquira Diaz), as well as a traditional history, Silver, Sword & Stone (Marie Arana).
Second, have you ever looked at the website of the U.S. Census Bureau? I am guessing no. But you should! It is an extraordinary resource for researchers on almost any topic. It provides curated sets of materials for every specially designated day, week or month. Latinx Heritage Month is no exception, but it uses the official government name, National Hispanic Heritage Month.
The last recommendation I would like to reference is Melissa Ochoa’s article “Stop Using ‘Latinx’ If You Really Want to Be Inclusive” from The Conversation, a publication to which numerous faculty members at the University of Dayton have contributed. Ochoa presents a compelling discussion of the appropriateness of using the term “Latinx” (like I did above!). As a university that has dedicated itself as an anti-racist campus and that strives to become inclusive, this is a must-read. For an alternate perspective that supports the use of “Latinx,” particularly by members of the LGBTQ+ community, check out this article from ABC News published earlier this year.
Enjoy!
— Scott N. West is a collections specialist and a member of the University Libraries Diversity and Inclusion Team.