cuentos that matter: the messages of latino children’s literature sonia nieto latino children’s...

Cuentos that Matter: The Messages of Latino Children’s

Literature

Sonia NietoLatino Children’s Literature Conference

University of South Carolina

April 2009

Messages I Learned As A Child

• Latinos are not part of the fabric of U.S. life and society

• Latinos have done significant in either their countries of origin or in the United States

• Latinos are not important

I remember kindergartenI remember having to say good-bye to MamiI remember cryingI remember not understanding the teacherI remember the English lessons with pretty Miss Powellwho made the boxy words fit just right in my mouth without painI remember the teachers who said, “You don’t look Puerto Rican”,expecting to hear me say thank you very muchI remember overhearing some saying Puerto Ricansdon’t care about their children, Puerto Ricans aren’t cleanI remember the heat of shame rising up, changing the color of my faceI remember praying no one heard what the teachers said, prayingno one see my hurt red as a broken heart…

Lydia Cortés (from Puerto Rican Students in U.S. Schools, 2000, by Sonia Nieto)

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From student to teacher

Sonia and one of her students in 1968 P.S. 25, The Bilingual School, The Bronx

Bulletin of the Council on Interracial Bulletin of the Council on Interracial Books for ChildrenBooks for Children

A Review of 100 Books on Puerto Ricans, 1972

•Racism•Sexism•Ethnocentric colonialism•Written and illustrated by mostly non-Puerto Ricans

Bulletin of the Council on Interracial Bulletin of the Council on Interracial Books for ChildrenBooks for Children

Puerto Ricans in Children’s Literature and History Texts: A Ten-Year Update (1983)• Assimilationist• Stereotypical• Full of caricatures• Racial diversity missing• Blamed the victim• Spanish language used as a prop• Benevolent White protagonists save Puerto Ricans

2009: Where are we now?

• Many more books, but they still haven’t kept up with our demographics

• Books are more representative

• A greater variety of books and genres

• More Latino/Latina authors, but still not enough

Who can write children’s books about Latinos/as?

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.“Diana Cohn’s ¡Sí, Se Puede! has moved children’s reading up several notches. Can’t wait to have more grandchildren and more Cohn!”

Harry Belafonte


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positive messages

• “Family always comes first” and family values guide our actions

• We are diverse in many ways• We are part of the United States, and we are

helping to transform it• We are change agents and advocates for our

communities• We are proud of our history, language, and

culture



And as she threaded two needles, she whispered in his ear, “You, Ramón, of all people, should know that sometimes persistence is the key to your dreams. We will try to mend it, but this time, together.



My father looked at me,And I knew that he knewThat the quarter was somewhere on me,But not to make me feel completely guilty,He said, “I’ll frisk everybody.”Leaving me there sweating to the last - tillFinally, it was my turn.“Let me see your pants, son.”

We are part of the united statesAnd we are helping to transform it

•We are 45,500,000 strong•By 2050, we will be over 25% of the total U.S. population•Our food is available everywhere•Our music is heard everywhere•Spanish is everywhere•If Latinos in the United States were a country, we would be the second largest Spanish-Speaking Country in the world (second only to Mexico)

Latinolandia

We are change agents and advocates for our communities













Siña Rosa:

”Hunting down Black slaves and turning them over to the mayor is no business for Black folks. Even if they steal our food, they’re only trying to survive. Black folks should help Black folks, not hurt them.”



“All I really want is to be myself and not make the teacher angry all the time. I just want to be in the play and to be called María Isabel Salazar López.”

My Greatest Wish“When I started to write, I thought my greatest wish was to make a snowman. Then I thought my greatest wish was to have a part in the Winter Pageant. But I think my greatest wish is to be called María Isabel Salazar López.”



”Wouldn’t you like to lead the song about the Chanukah candles?” the teacher said with a wide grin. “Why don’t you start by yourself and then everyone else can join in. Go ahead and start when you’re ready.”

cuentos that matter: the messages of latino children’s literature sonia nieto latino children’s...

Documents

interracial books

puerto ricans2009

puerto rican students

puerto ricans arent

puerto ricansdont care

nonpuerto ricansbulletin

united stateslatinos

united statesand