Red hot salsa : bilingual poems on being young and Latino in the United States

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.

• Editor's Note p. xi Lori Marie Carlson
• Introduction p. xv Oscar Hijuelos
• Language, idenlily
• Spanish: El espanol p. 2 Gary Soto
• I Am from Quisquella la Bella: Soy de Quisquella la bella p. 8 Amiris Ramirez
• The Hands: Las manos p. 10 Gina Valdes
• My Shortest Food Poem: Mi poema a la comida mas corto p. 14 Trinidad Sanchez, Jr.
• I Am Who I Am, So What: Soy como soy y que p. 16 Raquel Valle Senties
• My Graduation Speech p. 22 Tato Laviera
• Invisible Boundaries: Limites invisibles p. 24 Ivette Alvarez
• Neighborhoods
• New in New York: Nueva en Nueva York p. 28 Carlos Aguasaco
• Beloved Spic: Amado Spic p. 30 Martin Espada
• Armitage Street: Calle Armitage p. 32 David Hernandez
• Life in el Barrio: La vida en el barrio p. 36 Kizzilie Bonilla
• Leaving Ybor City: Dejando Ybor City p. 40 Jaime Manrique
• Tumbling Through My Tumbaburro p. 46 Jacinto Jesus Cardona
• Calling All Chamacos! p. 47 Jacinto Jesus Cardona
• Amor
• Love: amor p. 50 Gwylym Cano
• Fill My World with Music: Llena mi mundo con musica p. 52 Sandra Maria Esteves
• Your Eyes: Tus ojos p. 54 Luis Alberto Ambroggio
• First Kiss: El primer beso p. 58 Raquel Valle Senties
• El Parpadeo: El parpadeo p. 60 Trinidad Sanchez, Jr.
• In Virginia Woods Near Leesburg: En los bosques de Virginia cerca de Lessburg p. 62 Claudia Quiroz Cahill
• Prom Poem for Jorge Barroso: Poema de baile de graduacion para Jorge Barroso p. 66 Sandra M. Castillo
• Upon Knowing You: Al conocerte p. 70 Yeni Herrera
• Bilingual Love Poem: Poema de amor bilingue p. 72 Jose Antonio Burciaga
• Family moments, memories
• Tia Chucha: Tia Chucha p. 76 Luis J. Rodriguez
• Martin and My Father: Martin y mi padre p. 82 David Hernandez
• Dead Pig's Revenge: La venganza del chancho muerto p. 86 Michele Serros
• At a Peach Orchard in Virginia: En una granja de duraznos en Virginia p. 96 Claudia Quiroz Cahill
• The Pinata Painted with a Face Like Mine: La pinata pintada con una cara como la mia p. 100 Martin Espada
• Saturdays Set Within Memory: Sabado aferrado a la memoria p. 104 Isaac Goldemberg
• This Is for Mamacita: Esto es para mamacita p. 106 Willie Perdomo
• Victory
• Triumph: El triunfo p. 112 Marjorie Agosin
• In a Minute: En un minuto p. 114 Robert B. Feliciano
• Piece by Piece: Pedazo a pedazo p. 116 Luis J. Rodriguez
• Ode to the Tortilla: Oda a la tortilla p. 118 Gina Valdes
• The Journey That We Are: El viaje que somos p. 122 Luis Alberto Ambroggio
• Look to the Sun: Mira al sol p. 124 Sandra Maria Esteves
• For Bert Corona p. 126 Trinidad Sanchez, Jr.
• Glossary p. 127
• Biographical Notes p. 133