Yes! We Are Latinos

Intimate, first-person narratives, written in verse, offer a variety of perspectives, giving voice to people from different parts of Latin America who have settled in places such as Detroit, San Francisco, and Houston. Every story has a sympathetic and distinctive viewpoint. In “Mónica,” for instance, a girl from El Salvador who lives in Texas, says, “Illegal or undocumented— / I do not care. / I am glad that I won’t have to be any of that anymore / and just be me— / Mónica, / daughter, niece, friend, / student, / girl.” Each fictional account is followed by a nonfiction section that explores an aspect of Latino history or culture. For example, the story of Juanita, a Mexican girl who speaks Mixtec and recently moved to New York, is followed by a brief history of Spanish colonization and the indigenous languages of the Americas. The accessible format makes it easy to dip in and out of the book, and the content will enrich classroom units on Latin America and immigration.