As a Mexican American reader, I adore books written by hispanic authors. There’s always a touch of magical realism and an emphasis on the importance of food that warms my heart (and occasionally my belly). Being able to see yourself and connect with a character in a book let’s you get more invested in the story and feel like you’re recognized as a person. Did you know the chancla that your abuelita used to threaten you with is a global phenomenon?! You are not alone in your trauma!
But seriously, I think there’s absolutely power in what minority authors do for readers. They introduce you to their own culture and give you an insight into something you would never otherwise experience. The list below includes some of my favorite POC authors and the books they wrote that either made me feel seen or helped me see others.
***Caveat: As I started writing this blog, I realized I know very few Native American authors and none that I’ve actually read. If you have a recommendation, please share.***
Isabel Allende
Isabel Allende is a genius and a favorite author for a lot of Hispanic people across the globe. Every book she writes is a bestseller and her stories are uniquely enriched with magic, heartbreak, and love. Originally born in Peru, Allende grew up in Chile but fled to Venezuela after a coup held by General Augusto Pinochet. A celebrated author, Allende has won numerous literary awards including the Chilean National Prize for Literature, Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Amy Tan
Amy Tan is an Asian American author who has written numerous notable novels on the Asian American experience in the United States. Born in Oakland, California, Tan was the second of three children born to Chinese immigrants. Before Tan became a successful writer, she served as a carhop, delivery driver, bartender, and pizza maker. Regardless of the criticism, Amy Tan is a pioneer in her writing and opened the door for minority authors everywhere.
Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison was an incredible author, activist, and feminist. Born Chloe Ardelia Wofford, Toni Morrison grew up in an America rampant with racism that affected and inspired her writing. She earned a B.A. in English from Howard University and a Master of Arts from Cornell University. Her stories are always passionate and an in-depth perspective on the lives of black women. The amount of emotion her books invoke is why she’s one of the best authors of all time. She received a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, a Nobel Prize in Literature, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She was also inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2020.
Ta-Nehisi Coates
Although newer on the scene, Ta-Nehisi Coates has made a big splash. After attending Howard University for five years, Coates went to Paris, France, for a writing fellowship. As a journalist, he wrote on the cultural, social, and political issues facing African Americans, particularly white supremacy. His writing spans all types – journalism, memoirs, and even comic books – but everything he writes is well done and with a smooth tone. His themes on institutional racism, slavery, and the exploitation of black people in America are important for everyone to read and attempt to understand. Similar to Toni Morrison, his writing will continue to shed light on the life of African Americans living in a white-washed country.
Gabriel García Márquez
Most know Gabriel García Márquez as the most popular Latin American author. His novels are prolific and tend to span generations of hispanic families. Using magical realism, he’s able to mix the spiritual realm with real and difficult issues like politics, war, and injustice. Born in Columbia, Márquez almost became a lawyer; however, after his university closed, he transferred to the Universidad de Cartagena and began work as a journalist. Once he turned to novels, he quickly became an icon of literature worldwide. He received the Neustadt International Prize for Literature in 1972 and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982.
Min Jin Lee
Min Jin Lee was born in Seoul, South Korea, and immigrated to New York City in 1976 with her family. After attending Yale and Georgetown Universities, Lee left her career as a corporate attorney to focus on her writing. Her novels reflect life as a South Korean immigrant with rich and complex characters that show the conflicts immigrants face in new communities.
Akwaeke Emezi
Emezi isn’t new to writing but their popularity has recently skyrocketed with the release of The Death of Vivek Oji, a stunning character-driven novel. Born in Umuahia, Emezi was raised in Aba, Nigeria, and their stories reflect their upbringing in conservative, poorer, chaotic communities. They started writing as a way to escape the violence, riots, and dictatorship of their country and the themes of their books reflect that. Their complex characters and storylines help you feel connected to characters that otherwise tend to be lonely islands adrift in the world’s unforgiving chaos.
Khaled Hosseini
Khaled Hosseini is a literary success and an activist for refugees. Born in Kabul, Afghanistan, Hosseini spent time in Iran and France before immigrating with his family to the United States to escape the Soviet-Afghan War in 1980. He became a doctor but once he found success as a writer Hosseini was able to retire from medicine and write full-time. Hosseini is a Goodwill Envoy with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and provides humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. His writing reflects growing up in Afghanistan and the survivor’s guilt that comes from escaping a war-torn country. Filled with tragic stories and complex characters, Hosseini’s novels are instant classics.
Mindy Kaling
Mindy Kaling is a comedy writer but she includes serious elements in her hilarity. Her humor makes her stories completely relatable. Born of Indian immigrants, Kaling grew up in Massachusetts, graduated from Dartmouth College, and started her career in television. Best known for her role in the Office, Kaling has expanded her brand to include memoirs. Her creativity and straight-forward storytelling give light to her experience as a first-generation American growing up in a predominantly white community and her breakthrough into Hollywood as a female minority.
Angie Thomas
Angie Thomas is an incredible young adult author. Her stories of growing up as a black teen in America are powerful. Her straightforward prose allows for a story that is down to earth and relatable. Thomas’ stories are things that happen everyday all over the country and bring attention to the trauma that young black Americans face in their day-to-day lives. Thomas was born and still resides in Mississippi. Her childhood helped frame her novels and her role as an activist.
Alyssa Flores
Alyssa reads hundreds of books a year and is on a never-ending quest to find the perfect book.
