New Book: "Flor y ciencia"

Kristin wrote, in a comment:

Hey, although a search for blogs by Hispanic scientists is coming up empty, it looks like there's a new anthology by female Hispanic scientists and engineers! But you can't find it in the online bookstores. Looks like if you want a copy, you have to email NCantu AT malcs DOT net. I think we should give them a boost at getting the word out, don't you?

And she gave us this website to check out.

Here's a press release about one of the contributors to the book.

Growing up in rural Los Angeles County in the 1960s, Cal State Northridge biology professor MarÃaElena Zavala routinely encountered teachers and other authority figures who scoffed at her dreams of becoming a scientist.

A stellar student, the Latina even had a high school counselor try to steer her away from college-prep courses and back into a typing class because "Your kinds (sic) of people needs (sic) some kind of skill." But she also met teachers, librarians and other mentors who encouraged her to pursue her dream, offering a helping hand or valuable advice along the way.

...

Zavala says getting to where she is today has not been easy. In high school, a counselor openly ridiculed her plans to apply to Pomona College and several University of California campuses, assuming that since she was Mexican-American she didn't have the grades to get into any of those schools. She was accepted to all of them.

Though she's a university professor, people often have mistaken her for a janitor because she didn't "look" the part.

"We have different stories and took different paths to get where we are," Zavala said, referring to her fellow contributors to the book. "For me, I didn't know any better. I didn't know that I was breaking new ground. I just knew I wanted to be a scientist and did what I had to do to become one. I didn't really think about what the cost was going to be."

The book looks like it will be very interesting and inspiring. I hope I can get my hands on a copy soon!