There can be pitfalls educators face when dealing with the vast selection of children literature books. As you know, books always have played significant place in the United States elementary classrooms. Teachers, far often, have a hard time finding appropriate children books that reflect one particular group’s values, experiences, and culture. As we come of age, America is becoming increasingly diverse population yet we still struggle with providing children appropriate literature that reflects a group’s experiences and culture values. It is equally important for Spanish children to have access to literature, which they can relate to characters and events with which they can identify and through which they can consider their own actions, beliefs, and customs.
When teachers share books with young children, they offer, among other things, exposure to ways of thinking about other human beings. For the child, illustrations and text combine to create particular views of individuals as well as groups of people- complete with messages about what those people are like. Children can be easily misled about a particular group. Children of a particular group reading books about their own culture can feel betrayed because the author did not portray a particular group authentically.
According to the census, Mexican Americans were identified as the fastest-growing group in the United States. Unbelievably, Mexican children books are still underrepresented. For instance, redundant theme found in Mexican Americans characters that show themselves at a disadvantage position for not speaking English, seek to correct mistakes, and feel ashamed. In lieu of negative comments, we need to make a paradigm shift in our choice of multicultural books by providing insights of positive Mexican American images such as how they think about things, their strong sense of familial values, and show how central their culture is in their daily lives.
There are not many good books about Mexican American’s strong familial values available in classroom to help students build positive perspective of their image, instead of being fed into the stereotype of Mexican American where men are represented as breadwinners and women are represented as frustrated mothers. It is essential that teachers make the time to evaluate multicultural books carefully despite of little time we have on our hands. Often, teachers feel overwhelmed by the prospect of finding outstanding books, which may make their experience a bit frustrating and difficult.
They need not to feel this way if we provide them quick connotations online to pick appropriate and enriching multicultural books. In an effort to make teachers’ books selection experience pleasant, we will provide multicultural guidelines, so the teacher can evaluate the books justly.
We need to promote children of many diverse cultures to challenge and question the books they read as in whether they see the reality of their culture in books. I am hoping that Spanish children will able to see themselves in books and to see the reality and complexity of the multicultural society -- and the multicultural world -- that we live in.
Here are the outstanding books about Mexican American, which theme mainly focuses on family values found in their culture. The book is also written in both English and Spanish to enhance students’ language development and to show them that both languages should be equally respected. The website is: http://www.bilingualbooks.com
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Author: Diane Gonzalez Bertrand "When the kids see Mama pull out the large dark soup pot, they're in for a special treat. Today is caldo day. There are never too many cooks in the kitchen when Mom makes their favorite vegetable soup and everyone pitches in. A common, everyday Mexican-American meal becomes a captivating family celebration. A poetic narrative with colorful illustrations" bilingual books 32pp
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Author: Nancy Luenn "The magic of love and the rituals surrounding the Day of the Dead - a memorial day celebrated in many Mexican-American communities - are woven together in this heartwarming family story. Rosita and her grandmother are inseparable and when she dies, Rosita's grandfather helps his granddaughter show Abuelita how much she still means to her. Here is an affectionate picture book revealing a child's sense of loss and the healing power of remembrance. With a glossary, author notes and wonderful illustrations" 28pp (bilingual books) |
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Author: Sandra Cisneros "A gem of a vignette from Cisneros' best-selling House on Mango Street,is told by a child who describes how each member of the family has hair that looks and feels different. Bold, dramatic colors. Simple, free-spirited & intimate portraits of a loving and diverse family." (bilingual books)
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Author: Carmen Lomas Garza "Childhood story of a famous Hispanic painter in a traditional community. Her loving, extended family is very supportive and encourages her to fulfill her dreams of becoming an artist. "Garza's paintings of her family community show the everyday activites that remain vivid in memory: picking oranges, making tamales...swimming in the Gulf of Mexico." LA Times. The folk-art technique of "papel picado" is used to illustrate the Mexican images" (bilingualbooks.com). 32pp |
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Author: Mary Sue Galindo "What's better than an icy cold watermelon? In this selection, the answer is perfectly clear - an icy watermelon shared with loved ones in your family! Abuelo & Abuelita reminisce about how they met over a watermelon as young people, and in the telling of their story, their grandchildren learn more about their family history. Colorful illustrations enhance the story" (bilingualbooks.com). 32pp |
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Author: Juan Felipe Herrera "Dedicated to the spirit & work of Cesar Chavez, this is the poet's story of his migrant worker childhood & of his family who comes from Mexico to work in the fields of California. It also tells of his living under an open sky and learning about the songs & poetry of his people on the road to his becoming a writer. With rich colors, the illustrations fulfill the spirit of the text" (bilingualbooks.com). 32pp
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