Multilingual bookstore celebrating Hispanic and Indigenous cultures opens in Tulsa

(TULSA, Okla.) Tulsa is now home to a new multilingual bookstore. Palomino Books and Music celebrated its grand opening in the Kendall Whittier neighborhood on July 1.

Paloma Lopez, the Mexican American author of the illustrated children’s book Popo the Xolo, designed the space with her husband Agalisiga Mackey, a Cherokee singer and songwriter. They told Crosswinds News they want it to serve as a cultural hub for northeastern Oklahoma’s Indigenous and Hispanic communities. 

Lopez said Los Amigos Books, a bilingual bookstore in Chicago, was part of her inspiration for Palomino Books and Music. Her and Mackey’s plans came together as soon as they found the right space in Tulsa. 

“The peach-colored trim on the door, it matched the aesthetics I had kind of dreamed up for the space,” Lopez said. “And I took it as a sign and put a letter of intent out there to the broker and the owner.”

That was just three months ago. Since then, Lopez and Mackey have hit the ground running, creating an inclusive space that celebrates cultural diversity. 

“Our family is blended,” Lopez said. “So I knew that was just going to be naturally reflected in our selection and in the artists we brought in, in our store. So it's really a personal reflection of who we are at home. We speak Spanish and Cherokee to our kids, and we practice a lot of both of the traditions, and we try to maintain those connections.”

Mackey said their original plans for a bookstore soon grew. He and Lopez decided to incorporate a listening room where musicians like Mackey could perform for the public.

“I love getting to write songs and perform, but I love getting to see other people have a place that they can come to and express themselves for who they are,” Mackey said. “I've been very lucky with my own songs that people have accepted me, and I'm grateful for that.”

Mackey credits his interest in songwriting to the Cherokee language, which he is learning. 

“Doing songs in Cherokee is very important to me because I wanted to show the next generation and my generation, anybody that wants to learn the language, that it still has relevance today,” Mackey said. “It's not just a dying language. It's not obsolete.”

Lopez grew up in California and New Mexico. She says the store’s location in the Kendall Whittier neighborhood helps her feel connected to her community. 

And she hopes both the area’s Hispanic and Native community members will feel that sense of belonging when visiting Palomino Books and Music.

“I hope that they're relieved, that they have a place they can come to and feel safe and uplifted for who they are, and that it inspires folks to write or sing or songwrite like Agalisiga does, or do their own projects similar to this,” Lopez said.

The listening room where Mackey will perform will also be used to host poetry readings and other presentations. 

Lopez and Mackey said they hope to establish a non-profit to offer free community programming.

“I don't want people to come into the store and feel like they have to kind of be passive and just flick through the books and walk out and be quiet,” Lopez said. “I want this to be a space where people come and chat and connect and talk to us at the counter and want to do their own events here.”

More information about Palomino Books and Music can be found on their website.