A new book by the Pulitzer Prize–winning writer about the twenty-first-century Latino experience and identity.
In Our Migrant Souls, the Pulitzer Prize–winning writer Héctor Tobar delivers a definitive and personal exploration of what it means to be Latino in the United States right now.
“Latino” is the most open-ended and loosely defined of the major race categories in the United States, and also one of the most rapidly growing. Composed as a direct address to the young people who identify or have been classified as “Latino,” Our Migrant Souls is the first account of the historical and social forces that define Latino identity.
Taking on the impacts of colonialism, public policy, immigration, media, and pop culture, Our Migrant Souls decodes the meaning of “Latino” as a racial and ethnic identity in the modern United States, and gives voice to the anger and the hopes of young Latino people who have seen Latinidad transformed into hateful tropes and who have faced insult and division—a story as old as this country itself.
Tobar translates his experience as not only a journalist and novelist but also a mentor, a leader, and an educator. He interweaves his own story, and that of his parents’ migration to the United States from Guatemala, into his account of his journey across the country to uncover something expansive, inspiring, true, and alive about the meaning of “Latino” in the twenty-first century. --from the publisher
Héctor Tobar is the author of six books published in fifteen languages, including, Our Migrant Souls: A Meditation on Race and the Meanings and Myths of Latino, published by MCD/Farrar, Straus & Giroux. In a starred review, Bookpage calls Our Migrant Souls "one of the most important pieces of Latino nonfiction in several decades. Turning the last page, you will feel the weight of history on your shoulders." The New York Times calls Our Migrant Souls, "a resonant and deeply affecting book," And Publisher's Weekly (starred review) calls it "lyrical and uncompromising."
His other books include the New York Times bestseller Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine and the Miracle That Set Them Free; and the novels The Tattooed Soldier, The Barbarian Nurseries, and The Last Great Road Bum, all published in paperback by FSG/Picador.
Deep Down Dark was adapted into the film The 33, starring Antonio Banderas.
His short fiction has appeared in Best American Short Stories (2016 and 2022), L.A. Noir, Zyzzyva and Slate. He was awarded a 2023-24 Guggenheim Fellowship in Fiction.
Héctor is a Professor of English and Chicano/Latino Studies at the University of California, Irvine. He's written for The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, Harpers, National Geographic, and was a contributing writer for the New York Times opinion pages. Héctor has also been also a columnist for the Los Angeles Times and its bureau chief in Buenos Aires and Mexico City.
The Book in Common is a shared, community read, designed to promote discussion and understanding of important issues facing the broader community. The Book in Common is chosen each year by a group including Chico State and Butte College faculty, staff, and students, and members of the community. Butte College, Chico State, the City and County will sponsor a variety of events around the current Book in Common, including panel discussions, lectures, and other public events.
Faculty are encouraged to incorporate the Book in Common into their class syllabi, whether it's the entire book or specific chapters, themes, or issues from the book. Contact us if you have and questions or need additional help or resources.
Copies of Our Migrant Souls are available at Butte College Library.
Watch Héctor Tobar discuss Our Migrant Souls on PBS.
