Books celebrate Hispanic heritage
TEXARKANA, Texas — For anyone who wants to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by reading, Texarkana College’s top librarian, LaMoya Burks, has selected a listing of literature and nonfiction choices.
As part of TC activities to honor Hispanic heritage from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, Burks crafted the reading list and the school is showcasing them in a library display.
“We selected the books to feature in TC’s library display to show expressions of Hispanic culture demonstrated through literature that are relevant to our community and our students,” said Burks in a news release. “The display includes titles such as ‘Esperanza Rising’ by Pam Muñoz Ryan who won the Pura Belpré Award for Writing, and ‘The Poet X,’ a New York Times bestseller novel by Elizabeth Acevedo.”
Burks serves on
the American Library Association’s Pura Belpré Expansion Task Force. The group identifies greatness in Latino children’s literature.
In an interview, Burks said literacy is the backbone to all learning. “Through that learning that’s how there’s a connecting force between people,” she said.
As an academic librarian, she has a similar but different approach than a classroom instructor, she said. Within the different disciplines, understanding historical significance is essential, whether it’s construction technology, art or history, she believes.
“It’s from those foundations you can better understand how your career does or will benefit society, and then a greater appreciation for the people when you understand,” Burks said.
It’s a diverse list she assembled, including a gothic horror novel titled “Mexican Gothic,” written by the Mexican Canadian writer Silvia Moreno-Garcia. It’s a book she can’t wait to read.
“Some of them have the significance of history that’s put together with fiction and nonfiction,” Burks said.
The titles displayed are a diverse lot with both the setting and the experiences conveyed to the reader — for example, the 1992 autobiography of Reinaldo Arenas, a Cuban author.
“‘Before Night Falls’ is about someone that has a poverty-stricken childhood in rural Cuba,” Burks said.
Another title is “Undocumented,” which explores a Dominican boy’s experience in a homeless shelter.
“All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis” takes a different approach, tackling the climate crisis that affects Hispanic communities.
“There’s an array, from encyclopedias to books whether fiction or non-fiction. There’s a few there that are a celebration of music. A broad range of what we had,” Burks said about the collection.
As she notes, it’s also a chance to see what they still need to get for the library, and also a way to pay attention to students they serve and want to serve.
“As an institution that seeks to serve its community, as we continue to learn to understand diverse cultures and preserve and respect the contributions, as well as continue to extend the invitation to join in, not just in celebration in this month … we see you, you are important,” Burks said.
Celebrating Hispanic heritage is also about student experiences at TC, which makes it special.
“We want to make sure that from any dimension, any level of the student, we’re able to encompass that and reach what it is that they want,” Burks said. Diverse students have a place there at TC.
“We celebrate you, we see you, we want to know you more as our student and as a developing member of our community,” Burks said.
(On the Net: Texarkanacollege.edu/ library.)