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We’re highlighting some amazing Latinx bookstagrammers who help make up the robust and beautiful book community on Instagram. They’ve shared their handles, told us a little more about who they are and why Latinx Heritage Month is so important for amplifying the voices of Latinx writers and celebrating their history and culture. Latinx stories should be recognized all year long—not just September 15—October 15, so give them all a follow and add some of their amazing recommendations to your TBR pile to read for the next 365 days.
Scarllet is a Dominican poet and writer based in New York City. Her work appears in The Latinx Poetry Project, Alegria Magazine‘s poetry anthology with over 45 other Latinx poets on themes of immigration, social justice, and feminism. Find her on Twitter and Instagram at @iamlitandwit, where she spends her time reviewing and enthusiastically talking up her favorite inclusive books.
“Latinx Heritage Month is so important for me because it is a celebration of my Dominican heritage, my culture, my family, my language. There are layers to our community and to our culture, and it is so important to recognize and highlight the diversity within it — this month allows every Latinx individual to be seen and it’s the start of uplifting voices that have been systematically silenced.”
Lupita Aquino—better known as Lupita Reads—is a passionate reader active in both the local and online book community through her Instagram account, @Lupita.Reads. She is the creator of the #LatinxBookstagramTour, a columnist for the Washington Independent Review of Books, a curator of monthly book recommendations for BESE (a media company founded by actress and activist Zoe Saldana), a contributor for the Reading Women podcast, and the co-founder and current moderator/curator for LIT on H St. Book Club.
“For me, Latinx Heritage Month is an opportunity to proudly yell and share that Latinx readers exist and that we have so many emotions when connecting with Latinx-authored books. When I created the #LatinxBookstagramTour on Instagram, I was hoping to discover those emotions. I was hoping to connect and share stories with fellow Latinx readers around Latinx literature and what it means to us; what it means to have Latinx literature in our lives; what it was like before, when we didn’t have this literature; and why it might have taken us so long to find those books that tell our stories.”
Arianna Davis is the digital director for O, The Oprah Magazine and the author of What Would Frida Do? A Guide to Living Boldly. She has worked at Refinery29 and Us Weekly and contributed to New York Magazine, Glamour, Marie Claire, and PopSugar Latina, and has served as an entertainment expert for “Access Hollywood,” “Tamron Hall,” VH1, TLC, and more. She lives in New York City.
“I’m Arianna Davis. By day, I’m the digital director of O, The Oprah Magazine, but I’m also the author of the book What Would Frida Do? A Guide to Living Boldly, out Oct 20, 2020! Personally, I read books by women of color all year long, and I love to post about them and share notes with the bookstagram community. As a Black and Puerto Rican woman, I love seeing myself reflected in the pages of a book, and I always make it my mission to support women of color. So, I naturally gravitate toward contemporary fiction by Black and Latinx authors, all year round. But Latinx Heritage Month specifically is a special time where we can uplift and support authors in our community; to kick off the month, for instance, I shared some of my favorite reads by Latinx authors this last year, from Cantoras to Clap When You Land and Mexican Gothic. I hope that readers remember Latinx authors are on the shelves all year round, but during this month, it’s a delight to get to show a little extra love to all of these incredible Latinx writers and creatives.”
Nina Garcia is a Latinx reader and reviewer, who prioritizes reading works from BIPOC authors. She loves coffee, Netflix, cracking jokes, and discussing social justice issues. When not reading, she is hard at work on a middle grade novel that she’s very excited about.
“As a reader and bookstagrammer, Latinx Heritage Month is a wonderful time to connect with other Latinx content creators. Over the past few years, I have built long-lasting friendships with bookstagrammers because of this month and what it means to us. I will always be thankful for that.”
Alyssa is Puerto Rican, born and raised (and still lives) in Queens, NY. She has two dogs, a Bichon Frise and a Yorkshire Terrier. Unfortunately, they prefer to watch TV and eat instead of read books with her. She is an avid reader and has been since she was a child. She was that kid that begged to go to the bookstore instead of the toy store and she absolutely adored her school library. She calls herself nerdy and a kid at heart and is a lover of all things Sailor Moon, Disney, Tim Burton, Star Wars, and Broadway. Other favorites are Hocus Pocus, Edward Scissorhands, Anastasia, and Beetlejuice. She is an Aries who loves to laugh. Her favorite season is fall and she enjoys pumpkin spiced lattes, Halloween, history, rom-coms, space operas, and trying new things. She gets excited whenever she reads books with Latinx main characters written by Latinx authors. Sometimes you can catch her fangirling and geeking out and her DMs are always open to discuss any fandoms (especially if they’re bookish!). And last but not least, she enjoys long walks to her local indie bookstore, Kew & Willow Books, in Kew Gardens, NY.
“I think Latinx Heritage Month is important to get to know our stories and our history. Not just history that can be found in a textbook, but the kind that schools left out from the lesson plan. Our stories are beautiful and our voices deserve to be recognized, heard, read about, and learned about. This month is special to me because we are celebrated for our existence, and it’s honestly so beautiful. There are so many cultures within the Latinx community, and it makes me feel so much warmth and gratitude that they are being recognized. I will always be passionate about this month and will continue to spread this energy and share our stories beyond September 15– October 15.”
Featured Image: @lupita.reads
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