BOSTON, MA - September 12, 2025 - To honor National Hispanic Heritage Month, the Boston Public Library (BPL) is releasing Vida Latina, a booklist of recently published titles focusing on the cultures, histories, experiences, and diversity of the Hispanic community. Celebrated from September 15 through October 15 annually, National Hispanic Heritage Month recognizes the contributions and experiences of Hispanic Americans - specifically, those whose ancestors originated from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. The BPL will also observe National Hispanic Heritage Month by hosting special events for all ages across branches.
The Vida Latina booklist, featuring selected books written either by Hispanic authors or about Hispanic history and culture, is compiled by staff librarians from the Adams Street, Chinatown, East Boston, Faneuil, Lower Mills, and South Boston branches, along with staff from the Central Library in Copley Square. The 123 titles comprising the Vida Latina booklist highlight selections for adults, teenagers, and children by authors such as Isabel Allende, Lucky Diaz, Mariana Enriquez, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and Raúl the Third. Genres in this collection include biography, expressions, history and contemporary issues, and fiction.
Each book listing contains a brief synopsis and is accompanied by an image of the book cover as well as classification information. In addition to print books, select titles are available as eBooks, audiobooks, or in Spanish as well as English.
Along with the booklist, the BPL will celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month with author talks and lectures, performing arts events, film screenings, book group discussions, arts and crafts workshops, and more. The full list of programs can be found at bpl.org/events. Highlights include:
- Take Back the Kitchen with Haley House | September 13 and 27, Shaw-Roxbury | A cooking class highlighting the vibrant flavors and traditions of Hispanic cuisine. Participants will learn to prepare delicious, healthy, and budget-friendly meals inspired by Latin American and Caribbean foodways, while engaging in conversations about cultural traditions, family recipes, and personal food stories.
- Lowell Lecture: Paola Mendoza (Artistic Director for the Women’s March, Critically Acclaimed Film Director & Author) | September 16, Central | Paola Mendoza, a Latinx film director, best-selling author, and film director, will speak about her own experience as a community organizer and changemaker, sharing her personal journey.
- Hispanic Heritage Teen Paint Night | Tuesdays, Grove Hall | Youth in grades 6–12 are invited to unwind after school with acrylic painting on mini and small canvases. Special canvases featuring Spanish-speaking countries and flags will be available while supplies last.
- Meso-American Music & Dance: A Workshop with La Piñata | various dates and locations | Rosalba Solis from La Piñata will engage children in fun and easy traditional Meso-American/Aztec music and dance, utilizing authentic percussion and wind instruments. Participants will learn basic Aztec dance movements and music styles.
- Hyde Park Book Club: Bless Me, Ultima | September 25, Hyde Park | A group discussion of Bless Me, Ultima, a 1972 critically acclaimed coming-of-age novel by Rudolfo Anaya, which follows six-year-old Antonio Marez as he struggles to understand his identity, heritage, and destiny in New Mexico.
- Spanish Movie Night: Sueño en Otro Idioma | September 25, Hyde Park | A screening of Sueño en Otro Idioma/I Dream in Another Language, a 2017 film which follows a young linguist into Veracruz, Mexico, as he tries to learn about and preserve a mysterious indigenous language at the point of disappearing, since the last two speakers fought fifty years ago and refuse to speak a word with each other.
- Storytime with Laura Macias: A National Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration | various dates and locations | Stories and folk tales from around the world told by Laura Macias in English and in Spanish; includes puppets, songs, and movements.
- Kanopy Klub: Hummingbirds (2023) | October 2, Online | Watch Hummingbirds, a 2023 coming-of-age film celebrating the power of friendship and joy as tools of survival and resistance at the Texas-Mexico border.
- Melcocha Trío Concert: Anita Quinto, Winfred Meadows, and Yandy Garcia; with Special Guest Yaure Muñiz on Trumpet | October 4, Roslindale | A celebration of Latin American music with the Melcocha Trio whose repertoire showcases a kaleidoscope of sounds from the Caribbean, Central, and South America. The group pays homage to tradition by playing classic boleros, danzones, cha-cha-chas, sones, and many other styles as well as original compositions.
- Documentary Screening / Proyección de documental -- Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It | October 6, Codman Square | Explore the remarkable life and career of trailblazing performer Rita Moreno, one of the few EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) Award winners. The evening begins with a documentary screening, followed by a bilingual discussion in English and Spanish.
- Documentary Club: The Rise and Fall of the Brown Buffalo | October 7, Mattapan | A film screening of The Rise and Fall of the Brown Buffalo, a 2017 documentary which uncovers the true story of legendary Chicano activist Oscar Zeta Acosta.
- Ricardo Parra: A Concert | October 11, Roslindale | A musical performance by Ricardo Parra, a Chilean singer-songwriter, guitarist, and music producer. Ricardo Parra's music moves through various styles including Folk, Trova, and Bossa Nova.
Physical copies of the Vida Latina booklist will be available at all BPL locations starting September 15, 2025; it can also be accessed digitally. In addition, the booklist and information about National Hispanic Heritage Month programs will also appear on the BPL website at bpl.org and on the BPL social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram).
Patrons can view many years' worth of prior affinity booklists, such as those from Black History Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, LGBTQ+ Pride Month, Disability Pride Month, and Native American Heritage Month in an online archive.
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