Somos Tejanas!

¡Somos Tejanas!, edited by Jody Marín and Norma Cantú, constructs a complex characterization of the Tejana. The works in this collection offer some common denominators, including Spanish language, immigration or migration, home and homeland, religion, freedom, family, food, song and dance, and other cultural components. The conclusion here is that there is no one way or right way to be Tejana, but together these ways comprise a beautiful composite. -- Myrriah Gómez, University of New Mexico, author of Nuclear Nuevo México: Colonialism and the Effects of the Nuclear Industrial Complex on Nuevomexicanos
“¿Quiénes somos?” To answer this question, Marín and Cantú have curated a multidisciplinary, multi-genre, and multisensory collection of contemporary writings that trace the historical, political, and spiritual contours of a Tejana/e ethos. As a Texas transplant living in California, reading these essays felt like slipping on my favorite pair of weathered cowboy boots, evoking both the comfort of home and family and the discomfort of our colonial history. ¡Somos Tejanas! is an important contribution to the emerging field of Tejane Studies and to the bookshelf of Tejana transplants who need a slice of home. -- Larissa M. Mercado-López, California State University, coeditor of (Re)Mapping the Latina/o Literary Landscape: New Works and New Directions
This book is more than an anthology – it is a manifesto of resilience and cultural preservation. By weaving together essays, testimonios, poetry, and art, the collection asserts the vitality and presence of Tejana identity in the face of systemic erasure. It is an essential text for understanding the complexities of borderland existence, offering a rich tapestry of narratives that challenge dominant histories and celebrate the power of storytelling. Through its genre-spanning approach, ¡Somos Tejanas! stands as a testament to the strength of a community that refuses to be silenced. * Southern Review of Books *