Super Short Summary

The Prince of Los Cocuyos: A Miami Childhood is a memoir published in 2014 by Richard Blanco, President Barack Obama's inaugural poet. Blanco describes his childhood in Miami with parents and grandparents who immigrated from Cuba. The memoir explores his family's nostalgia for Cuba and his struggle to relate to a homeland he has never seen while reconciling his Cuban heritage with his American upbringing. It also details his journey to understand and accept his identity as an artist and a gay man, using notable incidents and various influential people from his life. Interspersed are recollections of his family’s challenges as they attempt to assimilate into American society while retaining their Cuban heritage. The book contains descriptions of racial and ethnic discrimination.