Our Migrant Souls: A Meditation on Race and the Meanings and Myt

Here are some notable books by Héctor Tobar:

1. "The Tattooed Soldier" (1998) - Tobar's debut novel, which explores themes of violence, immigration, and identity against the backdrop of Los Angeles.

2. "Translation Nation: Defining a New American Identity in the Spanish-Speaking United States" (2005) - A nonfiction work that examines the evolving cultural landscape of America's Spanish-speaking communities.

3. "The Barbarian Nurseries" (2011) - A critically acclaimed novel that follows the lives of a Mexican immigrant maid and an affluent Southern California family amidst the backdrop of the 2008 financial crisis.

4. "Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free" (2014) - A gripping account of the 2010 Copiapó mining accident in Chile, written by Tobar based on interviews with the miners.

5. "Our Migrant Souls: A Meditation on Race and the Meanings and Myths of 'Latino'" (2023) - Tobar's latest nonfiction release, exploring Latino identity through memoir, reportage, and cultural criticism.

 

 

‘Noteworthy’ salutes Southern California authors whose books made an impact in 2023 The Orange County Register, April 2, 2024 Pulitzer Prize-winning-journalist-turned-bestselling author Héctor Tobar is known for writing impactful prose. … In 2023, Tobar, now a professor of English and Chicano/Latino Studies at the University of California, Irvine, came out with the powerful nonfiction release, “Our Migrant Souls: A Meditation on Race and the Meanings and Myths of ‘Latino.’” The work expertly blends memoir, reportage, and cultural criticism to explore the essence of Latino identity. Critics raved: It won the Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction, was named one of Notable Books of 2023 by both Time and the New York Times, and was a Top 10 Book of 2023 at Chicago Public Library. The book begins with a prologue addressed to his students at UCI.