Hispanic Heritage Month is on September 15-October 15. It’s the perfect opportunity to celebrate the voices, stories, and perspectives that have shaped American literature. As English teachers, we have the unique chance to highlight authors who not only reflect diverse backgrounds but also connect with students on themes of identity, honesty, growing up, and finding your voice.
Here are three authors I love to bring into the classroom—and some ready-to-use activities you can use to introduce them to your students.
1. Sandra Cisneros
Sandra Cisneros is a Mexican-American author best known for her groundbreaking novel The House on Mango Street, a series of vignettes that explore themes of identity, culture, and belonging. She also wrote the short story “Eleven,” which resonates with middle schoolers as it captures the awkwardness of childhood and the way emotions sometimes don’t match our age. I have been teaching both of these works for the better part of a decade and it never fails to amaze me how relevant her words still are throughout the years.
I love teaching Cisneros because her works invite students to explore their own identities and voices through creative writing. In fact, one of my best-selling resources is the House on Mango Street Unit, which includes a Narrative Vignettes Book Project that guides students to write their own stories in Cisneros’s style. It is seriously the most insightful project, and students are always so excited to share their finished projects with their classmates (see above picture for some example covers!)
I have also have activities for “Eleven,” where students can analyze the text and reflect personally through a project called “All the Ages Inside You.” In “Eleven,” Sandra Cisneros writes that even when you turn a new age, all the younger ages are still inside of you. For example, when Rachel turns eleven, she still feels three, or five, or ten at times. In this activity, students create a visual representation of all their “ages inside.” This is a fantastic activity for a personal narrative unit!
2. Gary Soto
Gary Soto grew up in Fresno, California, and his writing often reflects the everyday lives of Mexican-American families. His poetry and short stories capture small but powerful moments—first love, nervous encounters, and the sweetness of growing up.
Two of my favorite pieces to teach are his poem “Oranges” and his short story “Seventh Grade.” Both are classroom staples that spark conversations about middle school life, cultural connections, and growing up.
“Oranges” is such a sweet poem with vivid imagery that many middle school students are immediately drawn to. One activity I always have students do after reading this poem is a one-pager activity. One-pagers also allow students to pick and choose what literary elements they’d like to focus on and how they’d like to represent it on paper (without tech!!) The creativity with this assignment is endless!
I also have short story activities for “Seventh Grade.” I LOVE teaching this story right at the beginning of the school year, particularly when I have a 7th grade class! It is absolutely perfect for capturing those “butterfly” feelings in writing. After we read the story together, students create and write a mini booklet called the Middle School Survival Guide. Students love seeing themselves in Soto’s characters, and it always opens the door for fun class discussions. Video directions are included, as well as a completed example.
3. Marta Salinas
Marta Salinas is a Mexican-American author who grew up in Coahuila, Mexico before moving to the United States. She studied at the University of California, Berkeley, where she developed a passion for writing stories that highlight family, integrity, and the challenges of growing up. Although she hasn’t published as extensively as Cisneros or Soto, her short story “The Scholarship Jacket” has become a classroom classic for the way it resonates with students. It’s a story that left a huge impression on me when I first read it in middle school in the early 90s.
The story follows a young girl who faces an unfair situation when her well-deserved scholarship jacket might be taken away because of her family’s financial situation. If you’ve read this story, I can’t believe the complete AUDACITY of the teachers and the principal to treat little Marta in the way they did! Thankfully, it has a positive ending and what struck me most—and what continues to resonate with students—is the theme of honesty and integrity.
When I teach this story, I use these activities that help students reflect on fairness and personal values. One of the most engaging projects is where students design their own scholarship jacket, thinking about what qualities, achievements, and values they would want to represent. It’s an excellent way to connect literature to students’ personal lives.
Why These Authors?
Cisneros, Soto, and Salinas each bring authentic perspectives to the classroom. Their stories are accessible, meaningful, and deeply connected to themes middle schoolers are already wrestling with—identity, honesty, love, and growing up. By including them during Hispanic Heritage Month (and beyond), you not only celebrate important voices but also provide students with opportunities to see themselves in literature and develop empathy for others.
Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!
Stacey
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