One of the more popular Latina writers, Julia Alvarez was born in 1950 in New York City. She was raised in the Dominican Republic in an extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins. In 1960, the family was forced to flee when dictator Trujillo came to power. Settling in Queens, N.Y., Alvarez earned degrees in literature and writing. In 1991, Alvarez’s “How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents” was published to wide acclaim. Mirroring her experiences of immigration and assimilation, her novel was a praiseworthy example of Latina literature. Alvarez’s writings continue to receive much praise as works of literary merit.