Sandra was born on December 20, 1954, in Chicago, Illinois. Growing up in a family of 7 children, with six brothers, Sandra felt lonely. Her parents did have another daughter. However, she died as a child, leaving Sandra as the only girl. (Alexander, 2020) In Sandra's family, library cards were mandatory. As a result, she quickly began to immerse herself in poetry and writing from a young age. (Chicago Public Library, 2009) Sandra ended up writing her first poem at age 10. (Colorado State University, 2017) After that, she stopped writing until she reached high school. (Alexander, 2020) Then, at St. Josephine in Chicago, she suddenly began writing again. Her creativity was acknowledged, and she got invited to write for her high school's literary magazine. At a certain point, Sandra even assumed the magazine's editor role. (Chicago Public Library, 2009) After high school, Sandra studied at Loyola University. After two years of study, she received her Bachelor of Arts in English in 1976. After this, Sandra attended the University of Iowa, where she took part in a writer's workshop. In 1978 she acquired her Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. This workshop would open her eyes to her authentic writing style and approach. (Alexander, 2020)

Sandra Cinero's parents, having met in Chicago, were both originally of Mexican descent. (Alexander, 2020) As a child, Sandra and her family often bounced between Mexico and Chicago. The frequent move was to visit family back in Mexico. However, every visit would cause Sandra and her family to move homes. One of Sandra's long-term residences was in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, where she stayed for most of her childhood. (Chicago Public Library, 2009) At home, she lived a simple life; her parents were far from rich, and she became familiar with cultural discrimination. Sandra based much of her writing on her perspective as a Mexican-American Author. As a child, she felt lonely--that she was "always straddling two countries…but not belonging to either country." (Colorado State University, 2017) She grew up afraid to use her voice, believing she would succeed by trying her authors' voices. Only after the Iowa Writers Workshop would she find the value of her voice. (Colorado State University, 2017) She began speaking as a Mexican woman, reflecting on her social position and cultural experience. She came to recognize that her history made her unique. Sandra became an activist, exporting many modern-day social issues. She specifically focused on working-class life. (Poetry Foundation, 2024) Much of her writing regards American Identity as a Mexican-American Woman. (Colorado State University, 2017) 

Sandra has written many well-renowned stories. Notably, her most popular novel,The House on Mango Street, and her first publication, Bad Boys. 

Other books Sandra wrote include My Wicked Wicked Ways and Loose Woman which were two poetry books; Hairs/Pelitos which was a children's book, and the picture book titled Have You Seen Marie? Other works by Sandra include a collection of random stories called Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories and personal essays, A House of My Own: Stories From My Life. (Cisneros, 2024) For these writings, Sandra received a number of awards, including the 2022 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, the PEN/Nabokov Award for International Literature, the MacArthur Fellowship, the Texas Medal of the Arts, the National Medal of Art, and NEA fellowships in poetry and fiction.(Poetry Foundation, 2024)

Her most renowned work is The House on Mango Street. This novel portrays Sandra's American identity as a Mexican-American woman through the lens of a coming-of-age girl living in Chicago. (Colorado State University, 2017) The novel has been translated into over twenty-five languages and has sold over 6 million copies. It is a mandatory reading in many elementary schools, high schools, and universities across America. 

Outside of being an author, Sandra involved herself in a wide range of activities. After receiving her degree from the University of Iowa, she returned to Chicago. There, she began working at the Latino Youth Alternative High School as a teacher. (Chicago Public Library, 2009) This was a high school for students who dropped out of high school and had troubling backgrounds. She specifically focused on teaching creative and artistic writing during her time there. (Alexander, 2020) However, working at the school did not stop Sandra from pursuing her endeavors. She continued to work on poetry and other writings, submitting them to literary journals, only receiving occasional success for her efforts. (Chicago Public Library, 2009) A few years later, Sandra returned back as an administrative assistant to Loyola University. As time passed, Sandra would end up working at various universities. (Alexander, 2020) 

Presently, Sandra is a single woman with four dogs as her companions. Specifically, she has been living with Nahui Ollin, her Xolo-Chihuahua, and two SanMiguelense Chihuahuas named Osvaldo Amor and Luz De Mi Vida. Recently, she also made a new addition to her family, Leopoldine Puffina, a Dachshund. (Cisneros, 2024) With no children, Sandra is said to have books instead of kids and to earn a living by using her pen. (Poetry Foundation, 2024)