Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage, an initiative housed at the University of Houston and dedicated to preserving and making accessible the written legacy of US Latinas and Latinos, announces the launch of the Esther Campos Collection in its Digital Collections platform. The newly available collection celebrates the life and career of Maria “Esther” (Estrada) Campos (1930–2025), a pioneering Mexican-American educator, civic leader and public servant who devoted her life to advancing educational opportunities for Houston’s youth. Born in Houston on October 6, 1930, Campos earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Houston College of Education at a time when few Latinas pursued higher education. She became one of the first bilingual instructors hired by the Houston Independent School District (HISD), later serving as counselor, assistant principal and ultimately as HISD Trustee for District VIII from 1993 to 2003. In recognition of her lifelong commitment to education, …
Bilingual Picture Book Honoring Grandmothers Wins Recognition
HOUSTON, TX—Adriana Camacho-Church’s bilingual picture book, Grandma’s Hair Is Ankle Length / El cabello de Abuela le llega hasta los tobillos (Pinata Books, 2024), is the winner of the Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy’s 2025 Spanish Bell Award in the “Hablar / Talk” category. The awards are an annual recognition of high-quality Spanish picture books that provide excellent support for early literacy skills for young children. A winner is chosen in each of five categories: READ, WRITE, TALK, SING, and PLAY. Winners were selected from a 25-title shortlist—five books per category—chosen by the awards committee. In Camacho-Church’s poetic ode to grandmothers, a young girl likens her abuela’s long hair to strength, security and understanding. The black strands speak of “finding courage in the unknown,” while the white ones represent wisdom and hope. With stunningly beautiful illustrations by Carmen Lop that depict a loving intergenerational relationship playing out against the backdrop of …
Bank Street College of Education Honors Two Piñata Books as Best of 2025 in Spanish
HOUSTON, TX—The Bank Street College of Education Children’s Book Committee named two new Piñata Books to its Best Children’s Books of the Year in Spanish (2025 edition): Pedro and the Monster Eaters / Pedro y los devoradores de monstruos by Xequina María Berbér and It Feels Like Family / Se siente como familia by Diane de Anda. Twenty-five titles reflecting the rich heritage and cultural traditions of the Spanish-speaking world were selected for inclusion. Loosely based on the life of artist Pedro Linares, Xequina María Berbér’s bilingual picture book, Pedro and the Monster Eaters / Pedro y los devoradores de monstruos, pairs the fascinating origin story of one of Mexico’s most well-known folk arts with C. Rod-Unalt’s striking illustrations of the magical creatures. It was praised by School Library Journal as “an engaging and bright treatment of a Mexican sculptor that will inspire burgeoning artists.” Xequina María Berbér is the …
Monster Fighter Extraordinaire’s Latest Adventure Honored as a 2025 Américas Award Commended Title
HOUSTON, TX—The Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP) has named the sixth book in Xavier Garza’s acclaimed Monster Fighter Mystery / Serie Exterminador de monstruos series, Vincent Ventura and the Curse of the Donkey Lady / Vincent Ventura y la maldición de la Mujer Burro, a 2025 Américas Award Commended Title. CLASP founded the Américas Award in 1993 to encourage and applaud authors, illustrators and publishers who produce quality children’s and young adult books that portray Latin America, the Caribbean or Latinx cultures in the United States. Up to two annual book awards are offered along with a list of commended titles. More than 200 books were submitted, and Vincent Ventura and the Mystery of the Donkey Lady / Vincent Ventura y la maldición de la Mujer Burro was noted as “remarkable.” The committee said the book “exemplifies distinctive literary quality, sensitive cultural contextualization, exceptional integration of text and …
Job Announcement: Marketing Director
Position Summary Arte Público Press seeks a highly motivated and creative Marketing Director to lead the press’ marketing, publicity and community engagement strategies. The Director will work collaboratively with editorial, sales and production teams to grow visibility, reach new audiences and amplify the impact of the press’ mission and catalog. This is an exciting opportunity for a skilled communicator and strategist passionate about multicultural literature and Latino communities. Location: Houston, TX Position Type: Full-time, Benefits-Eligible Key Responsibilities Strategic Marketing & Brand Development Design and implement annual marketing and publicity strategies across all imprints and initiatives. Maintain and evolve brand identity, messaging and visual standards across platforms. Publicity & Media Relations Write and distribute press releases, manage media lists and secure coverage in print, broadcast and digital outlets. Coordinate author publicity and events, including interviews, book launches and festival appearances. Oversee book award submissions, trade advertising and catalog outreach. Digital Marketing & Communications …
Meet our 2025 Summer Interns
Arte Público Press, Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage (Recovery) and US Latino Digital Humanities Center (USLDH) welcomed 14 summer interns this year from the University of Houston (UH), Rice University, Harvard Divinity School, University of St. Thomas and Houston Community College. These interns joined 6 UH Graduate Research Assistants to work on and learn a variety of tasks and skills, such as: Scanning of archival items Microfilm scanning Handling and preserving archival texts Inventory of primary documents Organizing collections Creating finding aids Curating exhibits Database research Primary document research Asset management Data management (with spreadsheets) Metadata creation Metadata translation Familiarity with Library of Congress Subject Headings E-book editing and translation Digital archives (Omeka) Digital tools (mapping, timelines, digital collections, OpenRefine) Archival theory Digital humanities theory Academic conference presentations Academic conference posters Planning an academic conference Public writing (Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage blog) Project management Marketing and social …
Launch of Updated Digital Collection Featuring Puerto Rican Poet and Activist Delis Negrón
Arte Público Press’ US Latino Digital Humanities Center (USLDH) at the University of Houston proudly announces the launch of the Delis Negrón Digital Collection, a new addition to the Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage Digital Collections. This bilingual digital collection honors the life and work of Delis Negrón (1901-1956), a Puerto Rican poet, journalist, educator and civil rights advocate who lived and worked in Texas. Donated by Negrón’s family, the collection contains photographs, postcards, handwritten poetry, personal correspondence and clippings from historic Latino newspapers, such as La Prensa, El Jicote and The Laredo Times. Negrón was a prolific writer and a key editorial voice in US Latino civil rights activism, contributing to the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) newsletter and participating in organizations such as the Gran Cadena Fraternal Filantrópica and Sociedad Fraternal Mexicoamericana. The project also includes family reflections, making it a model of collaborative, community-engaged scholarship. …
Call for Submissions: Children’s Book Awards Support Latino Authors
HOUSTON, TX—Generations of Hispanic children in US schools had to do without books reflecting their culture and heritage. In 2023, according to the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, only 398 of the 3,491 children’s books published in the United States were written by Latinos (11.4%); only 300 were about Latinos (8.6%). To fill that gap, Arte Público Press is accepting children’s book manuscripts to be considered for two awards: the Salinas de Alba Award for Latino Children’s Literature and the Reyes-Olivas Award for Best First Book of Latino Children’s and Young Adult Literature. Both seek to stimulate the work begun by Arte Público Press and its imprint, Piñata Books, which is dedicated to the publication of children’s and young adult literature that realistically portrays themes, characters and customs unique to US Hispanic culture. In addition to the publication of the book and royalties from sales, the winning authors will receive a …
UH and Its Publishing House Honored in Mexico
HOUSTON, TX—Arte Público Press and the University of Houston played a pivotal role in the 2025 UANLeer Feria Universitaria del Libro that took place at the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL) in Monterrey, Mexico, March 12-16, 2025. Arte Público, the largest and most prestigious publisher of US Latino literature, was the “editorial invitada,” or honored publisher. Its founder and director, Dr. Nicolás Kanellos, the Brown Foundation Professor of Hispanic Studies, was awarded the “Mérito Editorial,” or Publisher Award.“Our work, creating and making accessible Latino literature and cultural history, is so important to communities in the United States, and it’s gratifying to know that it is valued in Mexico as well,” Dr. Kanellos said. The University of Houston was the “invitado de honor,” or the honored organization. President Renu Khator spoke at the opening ceremony and was on hand to accept the award conferred by the UANL president, Dr. Santos …
Two Piñata Books Awarded 2025 Paterson Prize
HOUSTON, TX—The Poetry Center at Passaic County Community College in New Jersey has recognized two Piñata Books as co-winners in their respective categories for the 2025 Paterson Prize for Books for Young People. The prize comes with a cash award. Adriana Camacho-Church’s bilingual children’s picture book, Grandma, Where Will Your Love Go? / Abuela, ¿adónde irá tu amor? (Piñata Books, 2023), tied for the prize in the Pre-K-Grade 3 category with The Heights of Love by Boyd Bauman. Beautifully illustrated by Gastón Hauviller, Camacho-Church’s sweet story depicts the loving relationship between a young girl and her grandmother and the girl’s growing realization that her grandmother will not always be physically present. In the Grades 7-12 category, A Bridge Home (Piñata Books, 2024) by Mona Alvarado Frazier tied for the prize with Beware the Smart Kids by Matthew J. Kushin. Alvarado Frazier’s engaging young adult novel introduces readers to Jacqueline Bravo, …
