“I’m a grafted flower that didn’t / take, a Mexican without being one, / an American without feeling like one” writes poet Raquel Valle Senties in “I Am Who I Am, So What,” one of 37 poems in this compelling bilingual collection that looks at many aspects of Latino experience in the United States today. The poets explore themes of language, identity, community, family, struggle, triumph, and love. Most poems are presented in both English and Spanish; a few are written as an intentional blending of the two languages. This companion volume to editor Lori Marie Carlson’s outstanding earlier anthology, Cool Salsa: Bilingual Poems on Growing Up Latino in the United States (Henry Holt, 1994) offers an even broader perspective on the wide range of Latino voices and experiences in this country. (Ages 12–18)

Red Hot Salsa is an extraordinary collection of bilingual poems from the bestselling editor of Cool Salsa

i think in spanish
i write in english

i want to go back to puerto rico,
but i wonder if my kink could live
in ponce, mayagüez and carolina

tengo las venas aculturadas
escribo en spanglish
abraham in español

--from "My Graduation Speech," by Tato Laviera

Ten years after the publication of the acclaimed Cool Salsa, editor Lori Marie Carlson has brought together a stunning variety of Latino poets for a long-awaited follow-up. Established and familiar names are joined by many new young voices, and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Oscar Hijuelos has written the Introduction.

The poets collected here illuminate the difficulty of straddling cultures, languages, and identities. They celebrate food, family, love, and triumph. In English, Spanish, and poetic jumbles of both, they tell us who they are, where they are, and what their hopes are for the future.