Multicultural literature is a very important facet of any school library.
It is important for minority children to read books with themes they can
relate to, and it is also important for all children to be exposed to
literature featuring other cultures to help dispel prejudices. Since
World War II, the number of children's books focusing on African Americans
and Native Americans has increased, but there still seems to be a lack in
the use of Hispanic Americans as the main character (Norton).
Many of the books written over ten to fifteen years ago had stereotypes
which painted a very unbecoming picture of the Hispanic American. Today,
while there may not be an abundance of books to choose from, there are
some good quality books centering on the Hispanic American.
First, let's look at what to avoid when selecting books for your Hispanic
collection. Poverty is a theme that is too often repeated as a way of
life for Latinos. There are rich, middle class, and poor Latin Americans.
This should be reflected in the library collection. Food is another
consideration. Mexicans eat more than just tortillas and beans. Village
scenes in a book should be carefully viewed. A stereotypical scene
features barefoot children, sandaled peasants with sombreros and serapes,
and a donkey. Children should realize this is not the only way of
dressing in Mexico. While donkeys are a part of the rural life, they are
not the major form of transportation. Mexico does have cars! Bull
fighting is a popular pastime in Mexico, but not all little boys dream of
one day becoming a bullfighter. Finally, there are siestas. In rural
areas when there is no air conditioning, an afternoon siesta may be
common, but the majority of adult Mexicans do not take an afternoon nap
(Schon)>
Social problems should also be addressed. An Hispanic American's problems
should be solved by Hispanic Americans, not by the intervention of Anglo
Americans. Many books indicate that once the Latino learns English, all
his troubles will be solved (Ramirez). Hispanic women should have a
contemporary portrayal in children's books to serve as a role model for
Hispanic girls. Prejudices are dealt with in Felita and Going
Home, two excellent books by Nicholasa Mohr. Felita is an eight year
old American of Puerto Rican descent. When her family moves from their
Hispanic neighborhood to a mostly Anglo neighborhood in Felita,
they are shocked by the hatred they encounter. In Going Home, the
family visits their native Puerto Rico and Felita and her brothers are
again confronted by teasing from their peers. Only this time they are
"gringos" and "Nuyoricans." Felita starts to wonder exactly where it is
she is supposed to fit.
A good Hispanic book will use Spanish words and phrases with a
pronunciation guide to provide a more realistic feel (Ramirez). Be
careful though, sometimes Spanish words are spelled wrong or misused
(Schon and Norton).
Family is very important to Latinos. Your collection should reflect the
influence of the immediate and extended family in a child's life.
Abuela and Isla by Arthur Dorros and Abuelita's
Paradis by Carmen Santiago Nodar are wonderful examples of a young
girls' relationship with her grandmother. Other good examples of the
closeness of family are A Birthday Basket for Tia by Pat Mora;
Family Pictures by Carmen Lomas Garza; and Too Many Tamales
by Gary Soto.
Folklore and legends of Latin countries are important so children can have
new insights into their heritage (Schon). Plus, they are a lot of fun to
read. Some splendid tales from Mexico are The Legend of the
Poinsetta by Tomie dePaola; The Mouse Bride by Judith Dupre;
and Borreguita and the Coyote by Verna Aardema. Mexican horsemen
were the first cowboys of the Southwest. Over the campfires, they told
stories and came up with some real whoppers. Some of these yarns are told
in one of my favorite books, Gullywasher by Joyce Rossi. Fifth
graders in Virginia study the early civilizations of the Americas and will
find How We Came to the Fifth World by Harriet Rohmer and Mary
Anchondo a wonderful story of how the Aztecs view the creation of the
world.
Historical fiction should also be taken into consideration. Hill of
Fire by Thomas P. Lewis gives a very readable account of the birth of
Paricutin, a volcano which came up in a farmer's field. Note: Because
the illustrations in the book show the farmer as simple and poor, Isabel
Schon in a Bicultural Heritage would not recommend this book. But
I feel a farmer in a small village in Mexico in 1943 probably did not have
much money, so why pain an account of the event. The advantages of the
book far outweigh the disadvantage.
The nonfiction category of Hispanic books are usually without the
stereotypes seen in the fiction, but be careful. Some books may not be
diverse enough. Donna Bailey's Mexico is such a book. I checked
it out because I thought it would be a good book for the younger reader.
Instead, I found a book in which it looks like everyone in Mexico City
lives in a tent because of the 1985 earthquake and tht the only festival
is "The Day of the Dead." There are also no Spanish words in the text.
Two much better books on life in Mexico would be People of Mexico
by Laura Conlon for the younger reader and A Family in Mexico by
Tom Moran for upper elementary. My Home Country series by Gareth
Stevens Publishing is also excellent. It features such Latin countries as
Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Peru. Be sure to
include also in your collection, plenty of biographies of famous
Hispanics, such as Roberto Clemente, Alicia Alonso and Cesar Chavez. And
don't forget Latin American poetry such as Neighborhood Odes By
Gary Soto.
Fiestas are an important part of the Hispanic culture. Pablo
Remembers: The Fiesta of the Day of the Dead by George Anacona is an
impressive book about the November holiday. At the end of the book is "A
Note from the Author" which explains how this festival came about.
Elizabeth Silverthorne's Fiesta! gives us the history of Mexico's
major celebrations along with recipes and directions for making some of
the decorations. Pinatas and Paper Flowers by Lila Perl compares
holidays north of the border to those south of the border, with a special
emphasis on the Latin celebrations. Caldecott Award winner Nine Days to
Christmas by Marie Hall Ets is a wonderful story of a Mexican's
observance of Christmas.
The most important message I am trying to get across is that your library
should have a very diverse collection of Hispanic literature. Make sure
your collection shows all aspects of Latin American culture, not just the
sterotypes.
Bibliography
Norton, Donna E. Through the Eyes of a Child: An Introduction to
Children's Literature, 2nd ed. Merrill Publishing Co., Columbus, OH,
1987.
Ramirez, Gonzalo. Latinos: A Fiesta of Stories
Schon, Isabel. A Bicultural Heritage: Themes for the Exploration of
Mexican and Mexican-American Culture in Books for Children and
Adolescents. The Scarecrow Press, Metuchen, NJ, 1978.
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Hispanic Bibliographies
Children's Literature
