HAPPY LATINE HERITAGE MONTH, MIS INTERNET AMIGXS!

I'm posting here first because you, ALL OF YOU, my Bindery supporters have become so incredibly important to me and are integral to my internet experience as a creator. Our Bien Leidos Discord is a safe place for conversations, but also sharing about our lives and hobbies and I'm SO incredibly grateful to be spending my first Latine Heritage Month with you.

So let's get on with the post. In this photo, I'm laying on the ground surrounded by 75 Latine books that have released this year. You've seen them in the form of New Latine Book Tuesday posts. I couldn't fit them all into the photo, so scroll down until the end to see what the set-up looked like, plus some close-ups of titles.

"The Latina in me is an ember that blazes forever." — Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor

I begin every Latinx Heritage Month with this quote, usually con orgullo and tears in my eyes, proud of my heritage and community. I could never have predicted the reticence I'd be experiencing in 2025, fearful of the beginning Latinx Heritage Month. To finally have a moment of visibility, even if only temporarily and feel like I could be endangering authors, friends, or even myself or my family. And yet, here we are, one week on the other side of the 4th amendment for Latine who speak Spanish, look a certain way and have certain jobs and I've found myself agonizing whether celebrating could put us in danger.

But then I ground myself in the fact that TODAY, NOT September 1st like SO many have been insisting for some unknown reason, is the beginning of Latinx Heritage month in the US because it's Dia de la Independencia for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. We live in unprecedented and terrifying times, but we are the descendants of those who overthrew their colonizers, crossed borders seeking better lives for their families, of those whose borders crossed them and resisted their oppressors, and I KNOW we'll see ourselves through this, too.

We're not going to let anyone cancel our party and will dance our way through this celebratory month. NO ONE CAN TAKE OUR HERITAGE AND LATINIDAD FROM US.

Today, our community is in crisis and despite the myriad of threats, we celebrate. There is nothing more uplifting and motivating than our community's resilience. We laugh, smile, chisme through these threats BECAUSE we are Latinx. You can try to erase us, and yet we shine brightly and brilliantly despite the obstacles.

These 75 books around me are representative of just a small fraction of the full spectrum of our Latinx joy and resilience. Even though we are severely underrepresented by traditional publishing (approximately 6% of traditionally published books versus reflecting 20% of the US population), our authors and their stories persist in this system that does not value or support them as much as they should, if at all. However, WE support and value us, whether it's a heritage month or not.

I, once again, don't have anything special planned this year because it's Latinx Heritage Month on this account 365 days of the year. But if my Bindery supporters at any level have suggestions or requests, I'll try to get them in, if not during Latinx Heritage Month, then before the end of the year. Just drop them below in the comments and I will do my best to accomodate for you.

This is my TENTH Latinx Heritage Month as a creator on social media and while it may be the scariest timeline, I will continue to celebrate my culture loudly and proudly. With you by my side and supporting me, I just know this will be our best Latinx Heritage Month yet!

Tomorrow, we continue to celebration with New Latine Book Tuesday! ARRIBA!

Con orgullo, siempre,

Carmen

PS--

AND BEFORE I LET YOU GO, A FEW LATINX HERITAGE MONTH SALES TO HAVE ON YOUR RADAR!

Bookshop.Org is having a Latinx Heritage Month sale! 20% of SELECT TITLES (<-- use this link for select titles) when you use code LHM25 at checkout. The sale goes through September 30th, so pick up your titles soon!

Tomorrow! Libro.FM's BOGO sale begins! You can shop the titles HERE.

If you haven't signed up for LibroFM, NOW is a great time because they have THREE FOR ONE audiobooks when you use code SWITCH when you sign up for a new LibroFM membership! That means if new members play their cards right, they could get SIX AUDIOBOOKS for the price of one credit when you subscribe!