More than 50 El Paso Matters Book Club members gathered Wednesday to hear local author Tim Z. Hernandez talk about why he wrote the book “All They Will Call You.” 

The hour-long conversation at the El Paso Public Library José Cisneros Cielo Vista Branch was moderated by University of Texas at El Paso professor Daniel Chacon, who is also a long-time friend of Hernandez. Hernandez is also a UTEP professor.

The pair had the audience laughing and fully engaged as they talked about growing up in California, becoming friends and visiting the site where the people who died in the plane crash Hernandez wrote about were buried. 

Hernandez’s book, “All They Will Call You,” is about a 1948 California plane crash, where 32 people died, 28 of them were Mexican citizens who were being deported.

The El Paso Matters Book Club is sponsored by Literarity Book Shop. Click here to join our book club.

Tim Z. Hernandez, author of “All They Will Call You,” describes his urge to research and write about the 1948 Los Gatos plane crash at a meeting of the El Paso Matters Book Club, Wednesday, Sept. 20. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)
Tim Z. Hernandez, author of “All They Will Call You,” answers questions from the audience during a meeting of the El Paso Matters Book Club, Wednesday, Sept. 20. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)
Local author Daniel Chacon tells the story of how he met fellow writer Tim Z. Hernandez during a meeting of the El Paso Matters Book Club, Wednesday, Sept. 20. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)
Local author and professor Tim Z. Hernandez describes the long process of locating the families of the Los Gatos plane crash victims as he discusses his book “All They Will Call You”at a meeting of the El Paso Matters Book Club,Wednesday,Sept. 20. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)
An audience member asks author Tim Z. Hernandez a question about the writing of his book on the 1948 Los Gatos plane crash,Wednesday,Sept. 20. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)
Ramon Bracamontes delivers a short welcome to El Paso Matters Book Club meeting,Wednesday,Sept. 20,2023. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)
Author Tim Z. Hernandez shares a rubbing made from an early plaque at the mass grave of 28 Mexican victims of the Los Gatos plane crash in 1948,Wednesday,Sept. 20. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)
Author Tim Z. Hernandez spreads a canvas rubbing made from a headstone,erected in 2013,that names the 32 Mexican and American victims of the Los Gatos plane crash in 1948,Wednesday,Sept. 20. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)
Audience members read the inscription on a canvas rubbing made from a headstone,erected in 2013,that names the 32 Mexican and American victims of the Los Gatos plane crash in 1948,Wednesday,Sept. 20. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)
An audience member pages through Tim Z. Hernandez’s book on the 1948 Los Gatos plane crash during a meeting of the El Paso Matters Book Club,Wednesday,Sept. 20. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)
Author Tim Z. Hernandez signs a copy of his book,“All They Will Call You,”during a meeting of the El Paso Matters Book Club on Wednesday,Sept. 20. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)
Author Tim Z. Hernandez signs a copy of his book,“All They Will Call You,”during a meeting of the El Paso Matters Book Club on Wednesday,Sept. 20. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)