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“Leveraging a familiar premise, Anta excels at unpacking the intergenerational struggles that at times define immigrant parents and their children. …Refreshingly sincere.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“Scorching shades of orange, yellow, and pink stress the heat of summer in the city. This coming-of-age graphic novel uses technology, social media, and work to highlight the generational chasm between immigrants who came to the U.S. with nothing and their children with twenty first-century dreams.”

—Booklist

Second Generation Blues: A Graphic Novel

Written by Julio Anta
Illustrated by Red Dryer
Published by HarperAlley

Luis Menendez wants to be free from his immigrant Cuban-American parents’ expectations. Instead, he’s spending the summer delivering food for his family’s faltering restaurant, sweating under the hot sun and the crushing weight of a future he didn’t choose.

At least there’s Yara. Confident, assertive, and basically Luis’s dream girl, she might be the only person who understands him. If only he had any free time to spend with her.

Amid the chaos, Luis starts carving out his own path. But when trying to be the son his parents need clashes with the life he wants, he’s forced to face the question he’s most afraid of answering: Is family loyalty worth sacrificing his own happiness?

Primary ISBN: 9780063222342
Publication Date: September 2026
Available As: Hardcover, Paperback
Young Adult, Graphic Novel, Age 13 or older

Community Represented: ,

Themes: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Setting: United States (New York City NY)

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: 1st Generation

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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