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Overview
Set on November 22, 1963, the day of John F. Kennedy’s assassination, Judith Ortíz Cofer’s semi-autobiographical short story “American History” is a snapshot of racial tensions in 1960s blue-collar New Jersey
. The story first appeared in The Latin Deli: Prose and Poetry, Ortíz ’s 1993 acclaimed collection of poetry, fiction, and essays about Latino experiences in the United States. Ortíz ’s work has received many awards and honors, including the American Library Association’s Reforma Pura Belpre Medal, the Anisfield Wolf Book Award, and a Pulitzer Prize nomination.Read the full story summary, an in-depth character analysis of Elena, and descriptions of the main ideas in "American History."
