Since the 16th century, the Spanish language has been interwoven into the fabric of American history, shaping its literary and cultural landscapes. Yet, much of this literary tradition remains underexplored. In “Florilegio,” Víctor Fuentes — a professor emeritus at UC Santa Barbara — brings together a collection of Spanish-language texts written within the United States, spanning from the 16th to the mid-20th century.
The book’s title, meaning “flower picking,” reflects its purpose: to gather and showcase a literary tradition that has long flourished in the U.S., even if it has often been overlooked. “This literature is part of the history of the United States, but it has been forgotten, erased,” said Fuentes, a historian of Spanish literature. “My intention is to bring part of that to the reader, to offer it.” The texts include diaries, essays and poetry, accompanied by brief notes on the authors and an extensive bibliography — tools Fuentes hopes will inspire further scholarship.
More than an anthology, “Florilegio” presents a historical and cultural context for these works, offering what Fuentes described as “the seeds of a history of Spanish-language literature in the U.S., waiting to be written.” With its 375 pages, “Florilegio de las letras en español en los Estados Unidos: desde el siglo XVI a mediados del XX” (Stockcero 2024), collects a vast amount of erudite and creative texts, divided into five parts with multiple sections exploring diverse themes and topics. The book offers a comprehensive look at this literary tradition, highlighting its richness and complexity.
Conceived as a tribute to Don Luis Leal, one of the most influential Latin Americanists in the U.S., “Florilegio” honors the legacy of the late professor emeritus of UCSB’s Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies. Leal’s early advocacy helped elevate Spanish-language literature within academia, and Fuentes said he hoped to continue this mission by highlighting voices that shaped the literary world across centuries.
“Leal was one of the first scholars to teach Chicano literature at the university level,” Fuentes said. “He legitimized it, gave it the recognition it deserved.” For his work, Leal was honored with a National Humanities Medal. Two articles by Don Luis are included in Fuentes’ anthology, “Vida y aventuras del idioma español en los Estados Unidos” and “¿Qué es un latino?”