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As a former Spanish teacher, Laura C. Chávez-Moreno often witnessed her students grappling with racial identity and cultural expectations in w…

thony Ocampo, the author of “Brown and Gay in L.A.: The Lives of Immigrant Sons,” recently spoke to CALÓ NEWS about his journey to self-acceptance. Today, Ocampo is a Professor of Sociology at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He frequently writes on topics of immigration, gender and sexuality, and Latino-Asian identity.

What does it mean to be Latino in the U.S.? That was the focus of a lively discussion at the Library of Congress National Book Festival held this month in Washington, D.C., where UC Irvine professor Héctor Tobar told a packed house that the term “Latino” is “an expression of an alliance, we have this commonality, we have this story of a journey in the background.”

The Los Angeles native was speaking about his new book, “Our Migrant Souls: A Meditation on Race and the Meanings and Myths of Latino” which starts with what he says is a message to his UC Irvine students who have told him stories of their lives.

Also at the festival was Afro Latino Puerto Rican David Betancourt, a comic book culture reporter with the Washington Post and author of an upcoming book with Marvel, “The Avengers Assembled: The Origin Story of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.” The volume, which hits the shelves August 29, takes a deep dive into “the greatest superhero team of all time,” including looking at fan favorites such as Vision and Black Widow.

Feeling like you have to choose between your identity of race or sexuality, not knowing who you are, and the immense pressure of being a first-generation immigrant child? These are just some of the topics tackled by Anthony Ocampo in his second book, “Brown and Gay in L.A.: The Lives of Immigrant Sons.”