What Do I Read Next?
The Autobiography of a Brown Buffalo, authored by Chicano lawyer and activist Oscar Zeta Acosta, is a blend of autobiography and novel. In this 1972 coming-of-age narrative, Acosta recounts his life journey: from his birth in El Paso and his upbringing in Los Angeles during the 1960s to becoming a lawyer known for tackling seemingly impossible cases and challenging societal norms.
Jesus Colon’s 1961 anthology, A Puerto Rican in New York and Other Sketches, highlights his concern for the working class. Some of these pieces are autobiographical in nature.
Ernesto Galarza’s semi-autobiographical work, Barrio Boy, narrates the author’s birth in Mexico and his prolonged migration to California amidst the Mexican Revolution. In this 1971 book, Galarza, though orphaned, manages to graduate from high school and attends Stanford University, much like Rodriguez.
Octavio Paz’s 1950 work, Labyrinth of Solitude, delves into the Mexican psyche by examining political power in post-conquest Mexico. Paz, who later received the Nobel Prize for Literature, advocates for democracy in this book. This stance put him at odds with Mexican leaders at the time but earned him acclaim for his social critique.
Richard Rodriguez followed Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez with another set of autobiographical essays titled Days of Obligation: An Argument with My Mexican Father. This 1992 book did not receive as much acclaim as his first work, but Rodriguez broadens his focus to include topics such as the AIDS epidemic, his homosexuality, and the histories of California and Mexico.
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