Cover Photo: Cover art by Little A Books
Cover art by Little A Books

What I Learned When I Set Out to Write an “Authentic” Latina Character

Latinidad, to me, was like a shrunken sweater. I never wanted to get rid of it, but I couldn’t imagine how it would possibly fit.

In the country where my mother was born, so was my need to defend myself, finally, and so was my need to write.

West Side Story

menot meNOT ME.” , not what you think of me.

She’s not far from me now, falling in love in East LA.

beyond

R

ohm

Are you a strong woman nowNow are you empowered

People really want diverse stories

Perhaps thinking and writing ourselves as Latinos is not just another concession to whiteness, but a step toward imagining our future collective power.

They Could Have Named Her Anything

her. me.”

Stephanie Jimenez is the author of They Could Have Named Her Anything. She is based in Queens, New York.