We had the good fortune of connecting with Yago Cura and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Yago, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
At HINCHAS Press, we believe in “Bibliophilia 4 All!” This means that every person, regardless of creed, ethnicity, or religion, can develop a fever for books, an utter love of reading, fervent literacy, and fulfill their destiny as a reader engaged in lifelong learning across different media, and engaged with the world through analysis, compassion, and contemplation. Our business helps the world by reminding the world that people of color not only make and produce books and content, but also have the audacity to create thoughtful, critical content in English, Spanish, and Spanglish.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am currently the Adult Services Librarian at the Miriam Matthews/ Hyde Park (Florence/Van Ness) branch in South LA. I came to this job after almost ten years of teaching English Language Arts in under-resourced settings like Walton HS in the Bronx and the Los Angeles County Jail. While these settings were challenging, they allowed me to develop a playbook of best practices and strategies that I have been able to apply to all levels and ages and carry over to my librarianship.

I want the world to know that HINCHAS Press is owned by a publisher whose parents were immigrants to this country; I want the world to know that my immigrant parents could not attain a college degree because they were too busy raising a family and leasing their portion of the American Dream, so they made sure my sister and I didn’t allow milestones to interfere with our educational attainment and our dreams as makers of books.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I really like the comic book stores and prop shops on Magnolia in Burbank. I found a poster of “Alien” (1979) translated to German, and one of those shops has a bust of Stephen King from “Creepshow’s” ‘The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill. While I was in one of those shops, a random dude came up to me and asked if I was the dude from “Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988), and I didn’t have the courage to say no.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Autumn Anglin, GreyGirl Graphics (http://www.greygirlgraphics.com/), was absolutely invaluable to the success of our last book, “Inspiring Library Stories,” because she was able to illustrate what was inside the head of the editor, Oleg Kagan, faithfully and with great gusto. Her water colors and design elements added a depth and warmth to our publication and I can not express our gratitude enough.

Website: www.hinchaspress.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hinchas_press/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yago-cura-3582bb13/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CuraYago

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yagoscura

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_gm3CUZXZXcKlQxXgwBKOQ

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.