La Casita is a program of Syracuse University established to advance an educational and cultural agenda of civic engagement through research, cultural heritage preservation, media, and the arts—bridging the Hispanic communities of the University and Central New York.
La Casita Cultural Center is located in the historic Lincoln Building in the city of Syracuse’s Near Westside neighborhood. The center is equipped with an art gallery, classroom, bilingual library, performance space, workshop facilities, kitchenette and meeting space. For more information about space reservations, email lacasita@syr.edu.
Learn more at lacasita.syr.edu
1. Anita de Monte Laughs Last – Xochitl Gonzalez
Based off of the story of Ana Mendieta, the book follows Raquel, a first-generation Puerto Rican (Nuyorican) art-history student at Brown University. She rediscovers Anita de Monte’s story 13 years after her untimely death. This story deals with power, love, art, and who gets to control the narrative.
2. Gods of Jade and Shadow – Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Based on Maya Mythos and Mexican folklore, set in Jazz-era Mexico. The story follows a young woman named Casiopea Tun, who gets entangled with the Mayan god of death. The story combines fantasy, folklore, and adventure.
3. Blackouts – Justin Torres
Out in the desert, we meet our narrator tending to Juan Gay, dying, intending to pass on a story of queer history. A work of fiction, Torres discusses the relationship between queer liberation, oral history, personal archival projects, difficult narratives, and the gaps in history we attempt to fill in.
4. Cuaderno de Isabela/Isabela Notebook (2025) – Urayoán Noel
An autobiographical prose work written in both English and Spanish written and printed in Puerto Rico. Documenting his trips home to his family’s town of Isabela and the relationships therein. Urayoán Noel was also one of Point of Contact’s poets for Cruel April 2026.
5. Twice a Quinceñera – Yamile Saied Méndez.
She will be a visiting artist at La Casita later this month!
6. In the Time of the Butterflies: The Graphic Novel – Julia Alvarez (Author), Krystal Quiles (Illustrator)
A 1994 historical fiction novel that reimagines the lives of the four Mirabal sisters who fought against the brutal dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic
7. Dreaming of a Quinceñera – Yamile Saied Méndez (Author), Christine Almeda (Illustrator)
A children’s book about two sisters, Ellie and Isabella, who spend months dreaming about Isabella’s upcoming quinceañera.
8. The Fiesta Dress: A Quinceanera Tale – Caren McNelly McCormack (Author), Martha Aviles (Illustrator)
A children’s book about the misadventures of Lolo, little sister to Eva, on the day of Eva’s quinceañera when she feels ignored as the whole family is busy with preparations.
9. ¡Printing the Revolution! The Rise and Impact of Chicano Graphics, 1965 to Now – Claudia E. Zapata, Terezita Romo, E. Carmen Ramos, and Tatiana Reinoza
A groundbreaking book that explores the half-century legacy of Chicano and Chicanx graphic arts, tracing how artists and their collaborators used printmaking and activism to shape political viewpoints and sustain cultural identities.
10. Once Upon a Quinceanera: Coming of Age in the USA – Julia Alvarez (Author)
Carmen Aguilar just wants her happily ever after, which somehow involves being stuck in an unpaid summer internship in Miami performing as a party princess in a ball gown just to earn her final high school credit. To make matters worse, her coworker is Mauro—the attractive ex-boyfriend whose past actions caused the cancellation of Carmen’s own quince. Now, as her spoiled cousin Ariana’s over-the-top quinceañera approaches, Carmen has to navigate the heat, family tension, and unresolved feelings to save the day (and get her diploma).
11. How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents – Julia Alvarez (Author)
The story follows four privileged sisters—Carla, Sandra, Yolanda, and Sofía—who flee the Dominican Republic in 1960 after their father’s involvement in a failed coup against dictator Rafael Trujillo.
Find more at lacasita.syr.edu
