Rueben Martinez

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Martinez in 1993

Rueben Martinez (born in 1940 in Miami, Arizona) is a Mexican-American activist and businessman. Not seeing a future for him in the small mining town where he grew up, at the age of seventeen Martinez left Arizona for Southern California. He learned to be a barber and has cut hair ever since.

His barber shop in downtown Santa Ana, California, California was a gathering place for the movers and shakers in Orange County. His interest in the community and in the needs of small businessmen led him to be active in California Democratic politics, especially among Latinos. He has been a delegate to several nominating conventions.

In 1993, Martinez got an idea that grew from a customer novelty to a full flown national business. Martinez realized that the Latino community in California did not have bookshops that focused on their culture. His small collection of books featuring imported books and Latino and Chicano artists soon outgrew his barbershop. He moved his business around the corner to an empty storefront and turned his attention to the books.

Librería Martinez Books & Art Gallery and Libros Para Niños, a children’s bookstore, are recognized nationwide for showcasing Latino authors and artists. He has also had a passion for making Latino books available to children, and has promoted reading among children of all ages.

1 MacArthur Fellows Program
2 See also
3 External links
4 Notes

[edit] MacArthur Fellows Program

In 2004, Martinez was the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship. The selection committee cited Martinez for "fusing the roles of marketplace and community center to inspire appreciation of literature and preserve Latino literary heritage." ^[1]