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“I guess it all depends on whom you ask and when you ask. Race, I've learned, is in the eye of the beholder.”
― Raquel Cepeda, Bird of Paradise: How I Became Latina

“...being Latino means being from everywhere, and that is exactly what America is supposed to be about.”
― Raquel Cepeda, Bird of Paradise: How I Became Latina

“With my white friends, I’m always half Mexican. They never say I’m half Irish. Never say I’m half white. Like I’m tainted halfway from the standard. It’s like when I was a kid and I thought vanilla ice cream meant no flavor, like it was the base of all of the flavors. But vanilla is a bean. Like chocolate is a bean. Like cinnamon is a root. All roots and beans. All flavors. There is no base. No ice cream without a flavor.”
― Bill Konigsberg, The Music of What Happens

“Don't let your current situation dictate your future. Never let fear and doubt overcome your true dreams.”
― LeJuan James, Definitely Hispanic: Growing Up Latino and Celebrating What Unites Us

“Each of the three cultures in New Mexico during the mid-1800s (Caucasian, Hispanic, and Native American) were actively involved in kidnapping each other. As competition and fighting occurred between the three races, cruelty and violence were rampant on all sides. Yet, some captives found kindness among their captors.”
― Noel Marie Fletcher, Captives of the Southwest

“It doesn't matter who you are or where you come from or what you look like or who you love. It doesn't matter whether you're black or white or Hispanic or Asian or Native American or young or old or rich or poor, able, disabled, gay or straight, you can make it here in America if you're willing to try.”
― Barack Obama

“Papi, I don't know what to do anymore." Lourdes begins to cry. "No matter what I do, Pilar hates me."
"Pilar doesn't hate you, hija. She just hasn't learned to love you yet.”
― Cristina García, Dreaming in Cuban

“Today, it is predicted that nationwide one in three black males and one in six Hispanic males will be incarcerated in their lifetime. We have come to accept this as natural. But why doesn’t our discipleship inspire us to interrogate this belief?”
― Dominique DuBois Gilliard, Rethinking Incarceration: Advocating for Justice That Restores

“Cuando la Madre Naturaleza habla, incluso los Dioses guardan silencio.”
― Abhijit Naskar

“The either/or proposition that forces you to choose between your community and, say, your country has never been true. The very skills we learn to cross borders within ourselves help us to cross borders toward others outside our community.”
― Sergio Troncoso, Nepantla Familias: An Anthology of Mexican American Literature on Families in between Worlds

“Hey, mamacitas! How about you ditch those losers and come with us. We'll show you a real good time," one of them shouts through the window.
"Fuck off," Doug shouts.
One of the guys stumbles out of the car and advances on Doug. Sierra yells something but I'm not paying attention. Instead, I'm watching Alex tear off his jacket and block the guy's path.
"Get out of my way," the guy orders. "Don't lower yourself by protecting this white dick."
Alex stands toe to toe with the guy, the tire iron gripped tightly in his hand. "You fuck with the white dick, you fuck with me. It's that simple. Comprendes, amigo?"
Another guy steps out of the car. We are in some serious trouble.
"Girls, take the keys and get in the car," Alex orders, his tone precise.
"But . . ."
There's a lethal calmness in his eyes. Oh, boy. He's dead serious.
Doug tosses Sierra his car keys. Now what? Are we supposed to sit in the car and watch them fight? "I'm not going anywhere," I tell him.
"Me, either," Sierra says.
A guy in the other car sticks his head out of the window. "Alejo, that you?"
Alex's stance relaxes. "Tiny? What the hell you doin' with these pendejos?"
The guy named Tiny says something in Spanish to his buddies and they jump back into the car. They almost seem relieved they won't have to fight Alex and Doug.
"I'll tell you as soon as you tell me what you're doin' with a bunch of gringos," Tiny says.
Alex chuckles. "Get out of here."
When we're all back in the car, I hear Doug say, "Thanks for having my back."
Alex mumbles, "Don't sweat it.”
― Simone Elkeles, Perfect Chemistry

“One time, a 16-year-old member of Vicente’s group risked his safety trying to save a captive Texas girl, who had been seized by Comanches while taking clothes to wash at a stream near her house.”
― Noel Marie Fletcher, Captives of the Southwest

“Jimena sensed their fear. That brought a smile to her face. Her reputation was still so big that even tough enimigas wouldn't face her down.
She strutted past them, her heels snapping loudly on the sidewalk. She enjoyed the feel of their admiring eyes, their sideways glances and the wonder she saw on their faces. Jimena wasn't choloed out in khakis, a tight T, and long, boyfriend-borrowed Pendletons. She wore a slinky dress and ankle-breaking high-heels. The rain made the dress cling to her body, so they knew she wasn't strapping. No gun. Still, they were afraid to confront her.
This time she stopped for the red light, pausing to let the chicas know she didn't fear them. It felt good to be the toughest chola en el condado de Los Angeles. She was still down for Ninth Street, her old gang, but at age fifteen, already a veterana. A leyenda, her homegirls told her with pride. Jimena had been a real badass before she understood her destiny. She glanced at the scars and tattoos on her hand. What would the klika-girls do if they knew her true identity?”
― Lynne Ewing, Night Shade

“In January 2013, the Republican "Hispanic Leadership Network" issued a diktat to elected Republicans, coaching them on which words and phrases they may and may not use...Other Republicans slavishly followed the Hispanic Leadership Network's directions. Trump proceeded to violate every rule--as well as a few new ones.”
― Ann Coulter, In Trump We Trust: E Pluribus Awesome!

“Black is not evil.
White is not trash.
Brown is not illegal.
Muslims don’t crash.”
― Abhijit Naskar, I Vicdansaadet Speaking: No Rest Till The World is Lifted

“It always hurts the gringo more to lose his money than his life.”
― Luis Valdez, Zoot Suit and Other Plays

“Somos manifestaciones de la misma fuerza de la naturaleza.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Sleepless for Society

“Oh my gawd!â€� Dawn squealed, walking down the hallway with Jules filling her in on the night before. For a woman almost in her 50s, she sure had some energy and pep. Sometimes she sounded like a schoolgirl. “Shh!â€� Jules reached over, tugging on Dawn’s arm as they walked down the hall.
“Don’t tell the whole world,� she chuckled. “Is it normal to feel like this? I mean, I get horny just thinking about it!� Jules whispered even more quietly.
“Hot damn, girl!â€� Dawn was the first to grab their usual corner table in the breakroom. “Whaddya mean is it normal? To crave—â€� Her voice got church mouse quiet, “—sex?â€� “Honey, yes with a capital Y. It is if it’s that good!â€� Dawn replied. “Lord, have you not felt this way ever before?â€� she asked, her eyes widening in disbelief. Jules shook her head no. “But you know what keeps it so hot for me, Dawn? That I feel completely in control of the situation. I had him come over, we hung out and had fun, and I screwed him.â€� She said that part with a big grin. “I even wanted him to leave afterwards, and I have no desire to pursue it any further!â€� She didn’t believe herself, but hoped if she kept repeating this thought her feelings would soon follow.”
― Heather C. Adams, Wanted For Desire

“Marcus pulled in to Jules’ drive way. His car looked like one you might see an older man driving. Beige, long, some sort of Buick. He didn’t see her waiting on the rocking chair of her screened-in porch. The motion light had no reason to be on since she had been sitting out there for some time, enjoying the crisp evening air. Shaw appeared to be fidgety and nervous. He ran his hands through his tousled hair, trying to comb it through. He checked his nose for random objects and then he grabbed a water bottle and gulped down the entire thing in a matter of seconds. When he finally exited the squeaky car, he brushed down his shirt and jeans to freshen them. It was quite amusing to watch this man. The more nervous he seemed, the more confident she became. Yup, she was going to fuck him. Hard. She was going to fuck him as if her life depended on it, and in some ways it did. Without getting back in touch with this power she had found, she was a meek little girl just following people around. She did it with her parents and then she did it with her ex-husband. Maybe the way she had come to her current power wasn’t the most conventional, but Jules was never meant to be a conventional girl. She tried to fit into the conventional role with Joey for 13 years and was never this happy or strong. ”
― Heather C. Adams

“Ding
The sound woke Shaw. “Mami, I’m back early,â€� the text read. He didn’t mean to read it, just that damn detective personality of his. That and the fact that the text was lit up on her screen. He knew he wasn’t the only one, but he tried to ignore it. Does this guy treat her right? Does he make her come or only worry about himself? He felt a scowl forming on his face.”
― Heather C Adams, Wanted For Desire

“Rather than speaking in terms of specific and distinct subgroups (Mexicans, Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, etc.) ‘Latinoâ€� and ‘Hispanicâ€� have become the shorthand designation of choice among journalists, politicians, advertising executives, academics, and other influential elites.”
― Cristina Beltrán, The Trouble with Unity: Latino Politics and the Creation of Identity

“Hispanic" and "Latino" are terms whose descriptive legitimacy is premised on a startling lack of specificity. The categories encompass any and all individuals living in the United States who trace their ancestry to the Spanish-speaking regions of Latin America and the Caribbean; Latinos hail from Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, and beyond-more than twenty countries in all. Such inclusivity is part of the problem: "Hispanic" and "Latino" tell us nothing about country of origin, gender, citizenship status, economic class, or length of residence in the United States. An undocumented immigrant from Guatemala is Hispanic; so is a third-generation Mexican American lawyer. Moreover, both categories are racially indeterminate: Latinos can be white, black, indigenous, and every combination thereof. In other words, characterizing a subject as either "Hispanic" or "Latino" is an exercise in opacity-the terms are so comprehensive that their explanatory power is limited. When referring to "Latinos in the United States," it is far from immediately clear whether the subjects under discussion are farmworkers living below the poverty line or middle-class homeowners, urban hipsters or rural evangelicals, white or black, gay or straight, Catholic or Jewish, undocumented Spanish monolinguals or fourth-generation speakers of English-only.”
― Cristina Beltrán, The Trouble with Unity: Latino Politics and the Creation of Identity

“Drawing on earlier conventional ethnic types in newspapers, theater, literature, photography, and advertisements, the new medium of motion pictures perpetuated them and gave rise to new variants. The overriding negative images of Mexicans and Latinos in general in Hollywood motion pictures became a staple of its earliest western films.”
― Luis I. Reyes, Viva Hollywood: The Legacy of Latin and Hispanic Artists in American Film

“Many well-known screen actors and actresses changed their names to match the screen images created by the Hollywood dream factories and to distance themselves from their ethnicities.”
― Luis I. Reyes, Viva Hollywood: The Legacy of Latin and Hispanic Artists in American Film

“Latinx artists both in front of and behind the cameras are committed to creating entertaining, compelling stories, unforgettable characters, and indelible images of humanity that will bring a greater understanding of the society and the world we live in. They have a long history in the evolving art of motion pictures since its inception and are taking a more prominent place in the present and future of Hollywood and the world’s cinematic landscape.”
― Luis I. Reyes, Viva Hollywood: The Legacy of Latin and Hispanic Artists in American Film

“Back when the motion picture industry was still open, there were no unions or craft disciplines, and opportunities were available to anyone who could do the job. Latins have been a vital part of the industry since this era. As the different production film entities out West in Hollywood grew larger, consolidated, and gradually unionized, social hierarchy and pressures took a stronger hold in the Hollywood community and industry that initially allowed regular—albeit restricted—opportunities for employment in the movies.”
― Luis I. Reyes, Viva Hollywood: The Legacy of Latin and Hispanic Artists in American Film

“I’m just more Mexican,â€� I said. “Mexicans are a tragic people”
― Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

“It was a place where it wasn't bad or dangerous to be Native, and so she no longer hid her heritage. She told people that she was Native American. I imagine there was a spark of pride in being able to say it out loud after a lifetime of being ashamed or secretive about it.

But people didn't believe her. They told her that it was okay to be Mexican, and that she shouldn't be ashamed. These friends, most of when White, tried to be the best allies they could. They swore they wouldn't hate her for being Mexican, and every time she claimed her true identity they dismissed it. No matter how hard she fought, people refused to believe that she was Native.”
― Leah Myers, Thinning Blood: A Memoir of Family, Myth, and Identity

“Most White people saw me as Hispanic, and people of other races often thought I was the same as them.”
― Leah Myers, Thinning Blood: A Memoir of Family, Myth, and Identity

“LATINO means Loud, Loving And Tenacious, Ingenious in Obscurity.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Azad Earth Army: When The World Cries Blood