Marlyn F. Henríquez, Ph.D., holds two Master's in Spanish, is a National Board Certified Spanish teacher, and has taught at Suncoast for 28 years. She currently teaches Spanish IB Language A: Language and Literature, AP Spanish Literature and Culture, and Spanish V. She has published The Dynamics of Movement: Toward a Definition of Latin-American Identity in Contemporary Fiction and “Enmarcando el momento: Visiones de desesperación y la gran ciudad.” Among some of the awards she has received over the years, is semifinalist of the National Teacher Hall of Fame, Hispanic Teacher of the Year, I Make a Difference: Teachers of Excellence, and the Elizabeth Marx Outstanding Alumna of the Colegio Moravo. “My 38 years of teaching have been the most rewarding experience of my life.”

Race in Selected Works of Spanish American Literature
Latin America is a continent with a predominant mixed population still struggling to embrace its multi-ethnicity. In its literature, we find some writers who speak openly about race (Dario, Marti), whereas others create characters of different races who, despite unfavorable situations in their lives, emulate positive traits from which, as readers, we can extrapolate life lessons. Ideas for this topic come from: “Nuestra América” by José Martí (Cuba), “Palabras Liminares” (Prosas Profanas) by Rubén Darío(Nicaragua), “Balada de los dos abuelos” by Nicolás Guillén (Cuba), “La llamaban Aurora (Pasión por Donna Summer) by Aída Cartagena Portalatín (Dominican Republic) , Los ríos profundos by José María Arguedas (Perú), El reino de este mundo by Alejo Carpentier (Cuba) and La muerte de Artemio Cruz (México).