INCLUSIONADO CELEBRATES
National Hispanic Heritage Month which is from September 15 to October 15. We have compiled a list of books, movies, and YouTube videos that are appropriate for a variety of age groups. Considering there are more than 62 million Latinos living in the US with rich cultural backgrounds, we have many opportunities to explore, learn from and embrace Hispanic Heritage Month!
Hispanic Heritage Month
Enjoy Hispanic Heritage Month by reading books by Hispanic authors, watching films about Hispanic culture, and eating food from any of the Hispanic countries. Additionally, you can cross the Coronado Bridge and stop by the Barrio Logan Mercado to enjoy freshly baked bread, savory churros, or fresh handmade tortillas. If you walk around Chicano Park, you can observe the important stories depicted on the bridge’s tall pillars, with colorful murals narrating Aztec, Mexican, and Chicano cultures.
During this month, we celebrate the generations of Hispanic Americans (from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America) who have positively influenced and enriched our nation and society. President Lyndon Johnson started the observance of Hispanic Heritage Week, and President Ronald Reagan expanded it in 1988 to cover a 30-day period. The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively. Columbus Day, now more known as Indigenous Peoples Day, also falls within this 30-day period.
Book Stores
LA Liberia – books for kids en espanol. This Los Angeles bookstore curates Spanish language books from Spain and Central/South America for kids. Check out their amazing inventory at www.la-liberia.net
Booklandia An Oakland, California bookstore that specializes in bridging the gap in bilingual and Spanish literacy for young readers. www.booklandia.co
Elementary
Lucia the Luchadora by Cynthia Leonor Garza
A story about courage and cultural legacy, Lucía the Luchadora is full of pluck, daring, and heart.
Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh
Using his signature illustration style, and incorporating his interviews with Sylvia Mendez, as well as information from court files and news accounts, award-winning author and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh tells the inspiring story of the Mendez family’s fight for justice and equality.
Turning Pages: My Life Story by Sonia Sotomayor
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor tells her own story for young readers.
Tentacle by Rita Indiana
An electric novel with a big appetite and a brave vision, plunging headfirst into questions of climate change, technology, Yoruba ritual, queer politics, poverty, sex, colonialism and contemporary art.
Calling the Doves by Juan Felipe Herrera
Poet Juan Felipe Herrera’s bilingual memoir paints a vivid picture of his migrant farmworker childhood.
Capoeira: Game! Dance! Martial Art! by George Ancona
With action-packed photographs and accessible text, readers are introduced to this exciting, popular game.
Celia Cruz: Queen of Salsa by Veronica Chambers
Celia Cruz’s inspirational life story is sure to sweeten your soul.
Charro: The Mexican Cowboy by George Ancona
Charro is the Mexican term for horseman, but for a Mexican a charro is much more than a cowboy.
De Colores and Other Latin-American Folk Songs for Children by Jose-Luis Orozco
Bursting with color and spirit, this collection of Latin-American songs is a tribute to Latino culture.
Doña Flor: A Tall Tale About a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart by Pat Mora
A heartwarming and humorous original tall tale—peppered with Spanish words and phrases—about a giant lady with a great big heart.
Good-bye, Havana! Hola, New York! by Edie Colon
Six-year-old Gabriella and her parents leave Havana shortly after Castro’s takeover of Cuba and move to the Bronx.
Harvest by George Ancona
A fascinating and revealing photo study follows the campesinos–migrant farm workers who have come to America in search of a better life–as they work very hard under the scorching sun for many hours and keep their morale intact by telling jokes, gossiping, and dreaming of a better future for their children.
Roadrunner’s Dance by Rudolfo Anaya
To clear the tyrannical Rattlesnake from the main road of her southwestern village, Desert Woman enlists the help of Coyote, Raven, Eagle, and Heron to form an agile and fast-footed new animal that can outwit their nemesis.
Shake It, Morena! And Other Folktales from Puerto Rico by Carmen Bernier-Grand
A potpourri of songs, riddles, stories and games, all viewed through the experiences of a young girl.
The Piñata Maker by George Ancona
Told in both English and Spanish by award-winning author-photographer George Ancona, The Piñata Maker/El piñatero documents this traditional Latin American artform and includes a note on how to make piñatas at home.
Anita and the Dragons by Hannah Carmona
A beautifully tender story touching on the range of emotions immigrants may feel when leaving their home countries – excitement and sorrow, fear and courage.
Who Was Selena? by Kate and Max Bisantz
Discover why Selena, the Queen of Tejano music, became one of the most celebrated Mexican-American entertainers of the twentieth century.
Zari & Marinita by Mellina Valdelomar
Marinita is a small morpho butterfly who finds herself lost within an enormous Costa Rican rainforest.
Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras by Duncan Tonatiuh
Award-winning author and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh relates the pivotal moments of Lupe’s life and explains the different artistic processes he used.
Me. Frida by Amy Novesky
Me, Frida is an exhilarating true story that encourages children to believe in themselves so they can make their own dreams soar.
Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez by Kathleen Krull
In this Pura Belpre award–winning picture book, illustrated by Caldecott Honree Yuyi Morales, acclaimed author Kathleen Krull celebrates Latinx civil rights leader Cesar Chavez.
Danza! By Duncan Tonatiuh
Award-winning author and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh tells the story of Amalia Hernández, dancer and founder of El Ballet Folklórico de México.
The Spirit of Chicano Park by Beatrice Zamora
Join Bettie and Bonky as they discover a magical park located in the most peculiar place, under the San Diego Bridge.
Young Adult and Beyond
Ordinary Girls by Jaquira Díaz
In this searing memoir, Jaquira Díaz writes fiercely and eloquently of her challenging girlhood and triumphant coming of age.
Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
A riveting noir thriller about a daydreaming secretary and a lonely enforcer – and the missing woman they are both seeking.
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
A tale of two lovers, artistic Florentino Ariza and wealthy Fermina Daza, who reunite after a lifetime apart.
Hades, Argentina by Daniel Loedel
A decade after fleeing for his life, a man is pulled back to Argentina by an undying love.
A Nation of Women by Luisa Capetillo
The groundbreaking feminist and socialist writings of Puerto Rican author and activist Luisa Capetillo.
A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende
Two refugees from the Spanish Civil War, whose mock marriage as they flee to Chile gradually deepens into real love, set against a backdrop of war and upheaval.
Undocumented by Dan-el Padilla Peralta
An undocumented immigrant’s journey from a New York City homeless shelter to the top of his Princeton class.
Sanctuary by Paola Mendoza and Abby She
A near-future dystopian where a young girl and her brother must escape a xenophobic government to find sanctuary.
The Grief Keeper by Alexandra Villasante
This stunning YA debut is a timely and heartfelt speculative narrative about healing, faith, and freedom.
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez
A novel about a teenager coming to terms with losing her sister and finding herself amid the pressures, expectations, and stereotypes of growing up in a Mexican American home.
I Am Diosa by Christine Gutierrez
This raw and relatable guide to radical self-care and self-love empowers readers to embrace the powerful Diosa within.
Living Beyond Borders by Margarita Longoria
Short stories, comics, and poems are fresh, funny, and full of authentic young adult voices revealing what it means to be Mexican American.
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
A young girl in Harlem discovers slam poetry as a way to understand her mother’s religion and her own relationship to the world.
Films
- Coco Coco Official Final Trailer The story follows a 12-year-old boy named Miguel who is accidentally transported to the Land of the Dead, where he seeks the help of his deceased musician great-great-grandfather to return him to his family among the living and to reverse his family’s ban on music.
- In the Heights (2021) Musical drama set in Washington Heights in Upper Manhattan with lyrics and songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda. PG13
- Real Women Have Curves (2002) Real Women Have Curves – Official Trailer In East Los Angeles, an 18-year-old struggles between her ambitions of going to college and the desires of her domineering mother for her to get married. PG-13
- Retablo Retablo trailer | 2019 Damn These Heels Film Festival Segundo Paucar, a 14 year old boy, wants to become a master story-box maker just like his father to carry on with the family legacy.
- Encanto Disney’s Encanto | Official Trailer Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Encanto” tells the tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals, who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia, in a magical house, in a vibrant town, in a wondrous, charmed place called an Encanto.
- Even the Rain Even the Rain – También la lluvia | trailer US (2011) Berlinale 2011 As a director and his crew shoot a controversial film about Christopher Columbus in Cochabamba, Bolivia, local people rise up against plans to privatize the water supply. Recommended for ages 14 and up.
- El Norte El Norte (1983) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HD 1080p] After their family is killed in a government massacre, brother and sister Enrique and Rosa flee Guatemala and embark on a perilous journey to “El Norte”: the United States. Rated R
- Roma ROMA | Official Trailer | Netflix(2018) A year in the life of a young Indigenous Mexican woman serving as a maid to a middle-class family in Mexico City in the early 1970s.
- Frida Frida | Official Trailer (HD) – Salma Hayek, Antonio Banderas, Alfred Molina | MIRAMAX A biography of artist Frida Kahlo, who channeled the pain of a crippling injury and her tempestuous marriage into her work. 2002, Rated R
- I’m Leaving Now I’m Leaving Now (Theatrical Trailer) A 2018 documentary about an undocumented immigrant living in Brooklyn who plans to return to Mexico after 16 years but his family tells him he needs to stay in the US. Not rated.
- Like Water for Chocolate https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkvgSTJkKGI When tradition prevents her from marrying the man she loves, a young woman discovers she has a unique talent for cooking. 1992 R
- On My Block ON MY BLOCK Official Trailer (2018) Netflix Teen Comedy HD This show is about a group of street smart, funny friends in Los Angeles as they navigate their evolving dynamic as they start high school.
- Selena Selena (1997) Official Trailer – Jennifer Lopez, Edward James Olmos Movie HD The true story of Selena, a Texas-born Tejano singer who rose from cult status to performing at the Astrodome, as well as having chart-topping albums on the Latin music charts. PG
- Vivo – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOe8L69JpVI VIVO is an exhilarating story about gathering your courage, finding family in unlikely friends, and the belief that music can open you to new worlds. Great movie for young and old. A computer-animated musical comedy with songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda. 2021 Rated PG
- West Side Story Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” | Official Trailer | 20th Century Studios West Side Story tells the tale of love & fierce rivalries in 1957 New York City.
Gentefied Gentefied | Official Trailer | Netflix The Moraleses, a Mexican-American family consisting of three cousins and their immigrant grandfather, fight against the gentrification in their East Los Angeles neighborhood that threatens their grandfather’s taco shop.
Street Food: Latin America Street Food: Latin America | Official Trailer | Netflix The mouth-watering documentary series travels to Latin America to meet the local stars of Street Food in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, and Bolivia.
Black In Latin American https://www.pbs.org/video/black-in-latin-america-black-in-latin-america/ Henry Louis Gates, Jr. set out on a quest to discover how Latin Americans of African descent live now, and how the countries acknowledge or deny their history.
The Taco Chronicles The Taco Chronicles Season 2 | Official Trailer | Netflix Cross country trips both in Mexico and the USA, seeking to find out the origins and the culture around seven iconic tacos: Suadero, Cochinita, Cabrito, American Taco, Burrito, Birria and Fish Tacos.
