Hispanic Heritage Month kicks off today to celebrate the cultural legacy of Hispanic and Latine communities, as well as honor their contributions to U.S. history. Why does Hispanic Heritage Month begin in the middle of September? The starting day on September 15 coincides with the national independence days of Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Costa Rica, and the following month overlaps with the independence days of Mexico (September 16), Chile (September 18) and Belize (September 18).
This month should also be a moment to highlight the continued inequities faced by Hispanic and Latine populations in the U.S. A 2022 McKinsey & Co. report found that Latine workers are collectively underpaid by $281 billion a year due to inequitable pay and a lack of equitable representation at job levels in line with their share of the population. The report stated:
“Less than 5 percent of seats in Fortune 500 boards and in C-suites of corporate America are occupied by Latinos despite this community representing 19 percent of the U.S. population.”
Additionally, Latina women have some of the lowest earnings of any intersectional race/ethnicity and gender group — the pay gap for Latina workers in 2023 is 54 cents compared to every dollar earned by white men. All of these disparities hold Latine communities back from building intergenerational wealth and achieving upward economic mobility.
Stats like these are why Syndio is committed to providing solutions that drive data-backed action towards improving workplace equity outcomes related to pay, representation, and opportunity. To commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month, our team has collected this list of memoirs, novels, poetry collections, documentaries, movies, and tv shows that uplift Hispanic and Latine perspectives, experiences, and voices.
Nonfiction books
My Beloved World
by Sonia Sotomayor
Finding Latinx: In Search of the Voices Redefining Latin Identity
by Paola Ramos
When I Was Puerto Rican
by Esmerelda Santiago
Solito: A Memoir
by Javier Zamora
Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America
by Juan Gonzalez
Days and Nights of Love and War
by Eduardo Galeano
I Got This: To Gold and Beyond
by Laurie Hernandez
Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption, and Hollywood
by Danny Trejo with Donal Logue
Crying in the Bathroom: A Memoir
by Erika L. Sánchez
Inclusion Revolution: The Essential Guide to Dismantling Racial Inequity in the Workplace
by Daisy Auger-Dominguez
Fiction books
Under This Forgetful Sky
by Lauren Yero
One Hundred Years of Solitude
by Gabriel García Márquez
The House on Mango Street
by Sandra Cisneros
The House of the Spirits
by Isabel Allende
Like Water for Chocolate
by Laura Esquivel
Leaving Tabasco
by Carmen Boullosa
Woman of Light
by Kali Fajardo-Anstine
Esperanza Rising
by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Vampires of El Norte
by Isabel Cañas
How the García Girls Lost Their Accents
by Julia Alvarez
Poetry & graphic novels
Promises of Gold
by José Olivarez
Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide
Written by Isabel Quintero, illustrated by Zeke Peña
America Chavez: Made in the USA
Written by Kalinda Vazquez, illustrated by Carlos Gomez
Documentaries
Leguizamo Does America
Watch on: Peacock
Rita Morena: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It
Watch on: Netflix, PBS Passport
30 for 30: Brothers in Exile
Watch on: ESPN+
Roberto Clemente
Watch on: PBS Passport
Lorena, Light-Footed Woman
Watch on: Netflix
Los Tigres del Norte at Folsom Prison
Watch on: Netflix
Pelé
Watch on: Netflix
A Tale of Two Kitchens
Watch on: Netflix
Movies
Flamin’ Hot
Watch on: Hulu
Blue Beetle
Currently in theaters
Frida
Watch on: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, HBO Max
Coco
Watch on: Disney+
Selena
Watch on: Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, Apple TV
In the Heights
West Side Story (1961)
Watch on: HBO Max, Hulu, Amazon Prime
West Side Story (2021)
Roma
Watch on: Netflix
Encanto
Watch on: Disney+
Real Women Have Curves
Watch on: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, HBO Max
I’m No Longer Here (Ya no estoy aqui)
Watch on: Netflix
TV Shows & Comedy Specials
This Fool
Watch on: Hulu
Primo
Watch on: Amazon Prime
Freeridge
Watch on: Netflix
Selena: The Series
Watch on: Netflix
Vida
Watch on: Hulu
Cristela Alonzo: Middle Classy
Watch on: Netflix
Los Espookys
Watch on: Max
Street Food: Latin America
Watch on: Netflix
Gentefied
Watch on: Netflix
