WTOP celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month this Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, with stories spotlighting the contributions, culture and accomplishments of Hispanic communities across the D.C. region.
You will not only find a 20-foot pupusa at Fiesta DC this weekend but also Philadelphia’s Little Free(dom) Library, full of banned books by Hispanic and Latino authors.
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Visit Philadelphia tourism agency will bring its acclaimed banned books activation to D.C. on Sept. 28-29. The Little Free(dom) Library will have 2,000 free books that will be distributed at a walk-in version of the activation.
Neil Frauenglass, Visit Philadelphia’s chief marketing officer, said this year marks the project’s first trip outside Philadelphia.
“Understanding how important literacy needs are is certainly something that helped us come to this idea of ensuring that people have access to books at all ages and have access to stories for people at all ages that reflect who they are within a community,” said Frauenglass.
Since the Little Free(dom) Library initiative began in February 2024, more than 7,000 books have been distributed in mini libraries throughout Philadelphia. This project is part of Visit Philadelphia’s ongoing “In Pursuit of A More Perfect Union” series, which aims to showcase the city as a welcoming and inclusive place to travel to.
“Part of that pursuit is to ensure that everyone has a voice, and this is an opportunity to extend the reach and the voice of these authors that otherwise have been shut out,” said Frauenglass. “So it’s important, not only for them as the creators, but also important for those potential readers who have the opportunity to read their stories.”
Featured titles by Hispanic authors include:
- “Tito Puente, Mambo King” by Monica Brown
- “How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents” by Julia Alvarez
- “An African American and Latinx History of the United States” by Paul Ortiz
- “The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros
Additionally, attendees at the Fiesta DC can enter to win a Philadelphia Experience Prize Pack featuring:
- A two-night stay at a Philadelphia hotel (valued at $600, stay must be redeemed by Dec. 31, 2024)
- A $150 gift card to Bolo Restaurant
- A $100 gift card to the Julia de Burgos Bookstore at Taller Puertorriqueño
- A $200 Amtrak gift card
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