Hispanic Heritage Month: MC Employees and Students Share Their Favorite Hispanic Foods, Music, Books, and Film

Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 through October 15) is a time to celebrate the culture that binds the community together and the differences that enrich it. This year, students, faculty, and staff around Montgomery College shared their favorite Hispanic/Latin foods, music, films, and books—all made in Latin America, Spain, or by Hispanic movie directors in the United States. The list is as diverse as the community’s roots and aims to share and celebrate the gastronomic and artistic expressions of its people.

FOOD | What is the Latin/Hispanic food you cannot live without?  

“Dominican rice with habichuelas and Mexican tacos of any kind! - Katherine Saavedra, student and federal student worker at Takoma Park/Silver Spring Raptor Central

“Empanadas and alfajores (salt and sweet)... I need both in my life. - Alejandro Gabriel Leopardi, professor of English

 “Arroz con habichuelas and pernil. - Kimberly Jones, director of student life at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus

“Ají de gallina” (a famous dish from Peru), and “Tortilla Española” (from Spain). - Maria-Elvira Luna Escudero-Alie, chair of humanities - Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus

“It’s too hard to pick just one. Arepas, yuca, plátano frito and tostones. - Ja’Bette Luisa Lozupone, director of student affairs

“Sofrito, the vegetable base for the most sabor. - Ramón Luis De La Cruz '15, assistant to the director of collegewide facilities

“Fritos verde or tostones. In the Dominican Republic, tostones are also called fritos verde, which are chunks of plantains fried, flattened, and then fried again. They are delicious! Here’s a good recipe.” - Kenia Garcia, administrative aide II, School of Education

“When I first arrived in the U.S., it was almost impossible to find Jamón Serrano and Spanish chorizo. Because I was missing all the food from Spain, I had to learn to cook. Today I can say my Spanish paella has a very good reputation. - Antonio del Castillo-Olivares, professor of biology

“Ceviche or ají de gallina. - Maria Moreno-Martinez, employer services specialist

“Pupusas! Anything my mom cooks! - Patricia Polimadei, ACES student success coordinator, Rockville High School

“Arroz con gandules, roasted pork and pasteles. - Yanira Rodriguez, community engagement manager

“I love ceviche! - Glenda Hernandez Tittle, faculty and director of alternative certification for effective teachers (ACET)

“Mofongo! This Puerto Rican dish is one of my comfort foods. Sadly, it's not easy to find in this area. - Dr. Emily Rosado, professor of English

“Venezuelan arepas, which my husband makes every morning, and Galician empanada, which my Spanish grandmother used to make all the time when I was growing up. - Vanessa Zambrano, strategic content producer

MUSIC | What is your favorite Latin/Hispanic musical artist or band, or the one you can’t get enough of right now?

“Rebelde (RBD), a Mexican sitcom about the fictional lives of the Mexican musical group RBD. I watched the TV show with my mom and it reminds me of my childhood. - Katherine Saavedra, student and federal student worker at Takoma Park/Silver Spring Raptor Central

“Natalia Lafourcade. Her music is powerful and entrenched in her Mexican roots. She sings for all of us. - Alejandro Gabriel Leopardi, professor of English

“Marc Anthony is and will always be my favorite. His music speaks to my soul and uplifts my whole energy. - Kimberly Jones, director of student life, Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus

“Joan Manuel Serrat (Spain), Joaquín Sabina (Spain), Silvio Rodríguez (Cuba), and Pablo Milanés (Cuba). I like all of them for the poetic lyrics and their commitment to social justice. I also like Shakira (Colombia) and Calle 13 (Puerto Rican alternative hip-hop band), especially the song “Latinoamérica.” - Maria-Elvira Luna Escudero-Alie, chair of humanities, Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus

 “I’m a salsa girl through and through. You can’t go wrong with Hector Lavoe. I love how most Latin dances require a partner for turns and spins. I’m also a fan of Bad Bunny. - Ja’Bette Luisa Lozupone, director of student affairs

“Ramón Luis De La Cruz (writing, producing and performing my own original music). Also, I like El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico and Bad Bunny for their positive and fun representation despite colonization. - Ramón Luis De La Cruz '15, assistant to the director of collegewide facilities

“Ricardo Arjona, a Guatemalan singer. My favorite album is an old one called “Historias.”  I love this singer’s versatility. He is noted for his lyrical style and often addresses topics such as love, sexuality, violence, racism, and immigration. - Kenia Garcia, administrative aide II, School of Education

“Manuel de Falla, Maestro Rodrigo, and Narciso Yepes (classical). For rock and pop, I will have to mention Baron Rojo, Leño, and Alaska. - Antonio del Castillo-Olivares, professor of biology

“Eva Ayllón (música croilla). The genre is specific to my Peruvian ancestry. The lyrics are often patriotic and speak to the rich culture/history of Peru. Listening to it reminds me of my late grandmother. Also, Sarah La Morena's (mariachi)… her music transcends language. - Maria Moreno-Martinez, employer services specialist

“Right now, I can't get enough of Romeo Santos! I know almost every one of his songs. He is a poet. - Patricia Polimadei, ACES student success coordinator, Rockville High School

“Maná (pop rock band from Mexico). I like their songs as they reflect the feelings of many immigrants in this country, stories of love, culture and the fight for human rights. - Yanira Rodriguez, community engagement manager

“One of my favorite all-time Salsa artists is Marc Anthony. I love all of his songs but mostly how he collaborates with other artists in any genre such as reggaeton and baladas (romantic music) and interprets other artists so passionately and naturally. He is a true orgullo Latino, Latin pride. - Karlyvette Acevedo, financial aid outreach counselor

“Rosalia. I love her because she creates her own music and lyrics, and she brings together the many sounds of the Latin culture with songs in various Latin genres (bachata, merengue, reggaetón, etc.). - Ariana Peralta, part-time faculty-professor of education and ACET instructor

“I enjoy different Latin music genres including reggaeton, merengue, cumbia, and rock en español. One of my favorite bands is Maná. - Glenda Hernandez Tittle, faculty and director of Alternative Certification for Effective Teachers (ACET)

“Glass Spells, a band from San Diego, comprised of two Latino artists. Their synth pop style is reminiscent of the 80s New Wave music that I grew up on. Back then, I never saw Latino representation in this genre! - Dr. Emily Rosado, professor of English

“I love salsa and I am a huge fan of Rubén Blades, a gifted Panamanian musical artist. His lyrics mostly focus on social critique, politics, and the complexities of Latin America from a place of deep love for the region. My other two favorites are Juan Luis Guerra, a merengue and bachata artist from Dominican Republic; and Gustavo Cerati, the Argentinian god of Spanish-language rock behind the band Soda Stereo. -Vanessa Zambrano, strategic content producer

BOOKS | What is your favorite movie or book made/written in Latin America, Spain, or by a Latin/Hispanic director or writer in the United States?

“The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros because it offers a glimpse of what it's like to grow up Latine* and American in the U.S. - * Latine: a gender-neutral version of the masculine and feminine words for Latino and Latina. - Alejandro Gabriel Leopardi, professor of English

“War Against All Puerto Ricans: Revolution and Terror in America's Colony speaks to some of the violence Puerto Ricans endured in the 1950 revolution. - Kimberly Jones
director of student life, Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus

“My favorite book is the novel Conversación en La Catedral by Mario Vargas Llosa, a Peruvian writer and winner of the 2010 Nobel Prize of Literature, who presents a clear panorama of the political situation in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s in Peru, which was under a long and cruel dictatorship. I also like poems and short-stories by Jorge Luis Borges (from Argentina). The novel Cien años de soledad, by Gabriel García Márquez (from Colombia and winner of the 1982 Nobel Prize of Literature), and works by Jorge Luis Borges (from Argentina), whose short-stories, essays, and poems express his intellectual sophistication and his keen interest in many topics such as mathematics, Greek mythology, Islam, Judaism, sciences, philosophy, history, etc.” - Maria-Elvira Luna Escudero-Alie, chair of humanities, Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus

“Boricua en la Luna. Despite it being fiction, it made me feel and believe in the story about NASA’s abandonment of the first human born on the moon. Part of the La Brega podcast https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/la-brega/articles/boricua-en-la-luna-la-distancia-de-la-luna - Ramón Luis De La Cruz '15, assistant to the director of collegewide facilities

“The House of the Spirits, “La casa de los espíritus” by Isabel Allende, one of my favorite Latin writers. It is a very controversial book. However, I love it because it was well written; I like how she blended supernatural occurrences with realistic events. - Kenia Garcia, administrative aide II, School of Education

“Of course, El Quijote is at the top of the list (shall I say that Miguel de Cervantes y Saavedra is the author?)  It is universal; it is the first (and best) modern novel. I will also mention Arturo Perez Reverte. I would recommend any of his books. - Antonio del Castillo-Olivares, professor of biology

“You Sound Like a White Girl by Mexican author Julissa Arce. The book addresses the struggles first gen-kids and children of immigrants face being pulled simultaneously by two cultures (their roots and new home) while constantly having to prove we are enough... Latine enough. American enough... to everyone! - Maria Moreno-Martinez, employer services specialist

"Solito, a memoir by Javier Zamora, an acclaimed poet from El Salvador. He recounts the nine weeks he endured as a nine-year-old boy who wanted to be reunited with his parents in 1990. It reminds me of my dad's immigration story. He was a young teenager and the first in his family to come to the United States from El Salvador. He had no one waiting for him in the U.S., did not know the language and had to figure it out himself. His courage has always inspired me. - Patricia Polimadei, ACES student success coordinator, Rockville High School

“The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I like how the author presents how obstacles are conquered throughout life. It is a story of determination and resilience. - Yanira Rodriguez, community engagement manager

“My favorite book is The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa. I love this book because the author clearly depicts the events that brought an end to a 30-year long dictatorship in the Dominican Republic and it helped me better understand a part of history in my country. - Ariana Peralta, part-time faculty - professor of education and ACET instructor

“For the past couple of years, I've really been enjoying the work of Dominican American writer Elizabeth Acevedo. Her written and spoken poetry poignantly captures the intersections of race and gender, and she lives locally in Washington, D.C.! - Dr. Emily Rosado, professor of English

“I love magical realism, especially in Gabriel García Márquez’s and Isabel Allende’s books, as they capture Latin America so well, in all its possibilities and its challenges. As a former journalist, I love García Márquez’s nonfiction chronicles such as Cuando era feliz e indocumentado (When I was happy and undocumented), about his time as a reporter in Venezuela. I also love Latin American poetry, especially the classics from Chilean poet Pablo Neruda and Nicaraguan poet Rubén Darío. - Vanessa Zambrano, strategic content producer

FILM

“Pedro Almodóvar. He’s a brilliant director from Spain. One of my favorite films from him is an oldie but goodie, Todo Sobre Mi Madre. Spanish cinema is so different from American cinema, and his films are rich and vibrant interpretations of everyday life. - Ja’Bette Luisa Lozupone, director of student affairs

“Under the Same Moon gives a strong message and plot twist that many people could relate to, especially those having immigrant parents/families. You realize what they must go through and sacrifice for their children. - Katherine Saavedra, student and federal student worker, Takoma Park/Silver Spring Raptor Central

“In the Heights (the musical and the film) by a combination of Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegria Hudes. It combines the U.S. Latine experience with creative storytelling, songs, and of course something we all love to do, dancing. - Alejandro Gabriel Leopardi, professor of English

“I love the films created by Spanish director Pedro Amodóvar and the Argentinian film El Secreto de Sus Ojos (The Secret in Their Eyes), which features superb storytelling and acting. - Vanessa Zambrano, strategic content producer

“I loved the movie ‘Instructions Not Included,’ directed by Eugenio Derbez. It is heartwarming and displays the Mexican/Latino people and culture at the same time. - Karlyvette Acevedo, financial aid outreach counselor

STAGE

“Lin-Manuel Miranda! Amazingly talented with creations such as Hamilton and In the Heights (Broadway musicals), Vivo and Encanto. - Glenda Hernandez Tittle, faculty and director of Alternative Certification for Effective Teachers (ACET)

View photos of all contributors here.