Somos Xicanas
Testament: A Grand Exploration of Xicana Words and Identity

Somos Xicanas, edited by Luz Schweig and published by Riot of Roses Publishing House, is a rich and resonant anthology that seeks to answer the question: What does it really mean to be a Xicana?
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The answer, it seems, is not an easy one. The Xicana/Chicana experience is rich, complex, nuanced, wholly individual, and yet, a shared one. But it is an experience that has often been misrepresented, maligned, or flat-out ignored through American (and Mexican) History.

Editor Luz Schweig has marvelously assembled a voluminous tome for readers everywhere. Combining short stories, poetry, and biographical (or semi-autobiographical) passages, this book boasts the voices of 83 Xicana authors and poets from far-ranging backgrounds, all with the aim of reclaiming and affirming their identity, their heritage, and their space in this world. Within these pages, readers will encounter established authors and newer voices alike, all weaving captivating tales of the uniquely Mexican-American Xicana experience.

Thematically, Somos Xicanas hosts a wide spectrum of stories and poems about family and love; of childhoods remembered and lives lost; of roots forgotten and reclaimed; there are odes to hardworking parents and loving abuelos; explorations of sexual identity, intersectionality, and yearning for homes left behind; uplifting narratives about Cholo and Chola guardians, and heartbreaking accounts about missing and murdered women.

​Each author brings a distinctive voice, tone, and style to their subject matter in an earnest attempt to analyze their world, make amends, reminisce, and ultimately, understand themselves and their history, love, and pain through the power of words. Readers may find themselves cheering as they read one passage, and feel their heart breaking with the next. There is much to be discovered within these pages.
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Owing to their diverse backgrounds, there are works in English, Spanish, Spanglish, and even some translated indigenous pieces. Anthologies like these are not the norm; not in public libraries, not in the mainstream media, and certainly not in major bookstores. A special acknowledgment should be given to editor Luz Schweig and publisher Riot of Roses for curating this wealth of colorful voices. These authors and poets are spell weavers and curanderas, casting words like magic spells, dissecting their souls and putting them back together as best they can for the world to experience.

Ultimately, this anthology is a triumph; a grand work of literature suitable for students, academics, historians, sociologists, and casual readers alike. It is a testament to Xicanas everywhere and should sit on library shelves, coffee tables, and nightstands everywhere.
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Luz Schweig (she/ella) is the lead editor behind the Somos Xicanas anthology, and a former volunteer staff member at Somos en escrito Literary Foundation. She ran an international women's poetry journal for ten years where she edited and produced five anthologies and a posthumous poetry collection. She grew up in La Ciudad de México.

Somos Xicanas is a publication by Riot of Roses Publishing House LLC.

Reviewed by
Pedro Iniguez
5/4/2025
Pedro Iniguez is a Mexican-American Bram Stoker, Elgin, and Rhysling Award-nominated horror and science-fiction writer from Los Angeles, California.

He is the author of Mexicans on the Moon: Speculative Poetry from a Possible Future, and Fever Dreams of a Parasite, among several other books.
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His picture book, The Fib, is slated for October 2025.
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