Somos Nopales

by Eddie Vega

118 pages, Paperback

Published January 12, 2024

Reviews

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 out of 5 for this Puro San Antonio poetry collection.

So many of these poems resonated with me and the community that I live and teach in. As I read, I kept matching them to my classes and thinking how perfectly they’d fit, and how much my students would love them.

This collection is full of emotions and a sense of genuineness - I loved it! Not to mention the beautiful cover! I enjoyed every moment of this collection, and can't wait to read more!

[Diane Zarco Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

The full Chicano experience encapsulated into short poems. From spouting out Selena references to calling out the jealous gringo kids who said you only got into your dream college because of the color of your skin, every page resonated deeply. Vega’s poems left me feeling nostalgic and empowered to keep being the prickliest, toughest, most resilient “nopal”.

[Paul Mena · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short, excellent collection of poetry shedding light on the Mexican-American experience of being "ni de aquí ni de allá," and yet ultimately triumphing by virtue of resilience and strength of character.

[Katy Chow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a student in an introductory Chicanx studies course, and Somos Nopales became one of the parts of class I looked forward to the most. We began all of our classes by reading one of the poems together, then taking a moment to write in our journal about whatever it brought up for us. All of these poems were impactful and carries a lot of strength. My favorite poem is definitely "Please, America", and the repetition definitely made this poem linger and resonate in my mind. I highly recommend this book for all readers. It portrays Chicanx community, identity, and experiences in a powerful way and is perfect for group discussions or personal enjoyment.