Latino children's literature

The term "Latino children's literature" encompasses materials about the cultural experience of Latinos and Chicanos in the United States. This includes people born in Puerto Rico or the United States, or emigrated from such countries as Mexico, Chile, Ecuador, or Cuba, with the term encompassing their contributions to the field of writing for children in the United States.[1]

History

Latino children's literature became popular in the 1960s to early 1970s during the Chicano movement, which embodied social issues, peace, and education. It gained additional recognition during the 1990s when author Alma Flor Ada launched a book series that explored these messages of identity. The amount of books that fall into the category of Latino children's literature are small, which Sally Nathenson-Mejía and Kathy Escamilla have described as indicative of ethnic children's literature as a whole.[2]

Themes

Themes in Latino children's literature include the adjustment to American life and aspirations, the inclusion of Latino activists, and the discovery of identity.[3] Many of the books contain messages of ancestry, roots, and the conflicting of American values. "High-quality Chicano/Latino children's literature, when used appropriately, challenges whiteness by helping children see themselves, their culture, and experiences as something worthwhile to examine, study, and celebrate."[4] Myths and legends is also a recurring theme that allows children to tie into their cultural roots and beliefs such as La Llorona, El Duende, and La Patasola.[5]

Style

The most common styles are the traditional sayings such as the usage of metaphors, similes expressed through riddles, proverbs/sayings, tongue twisters, and nursery rhymes. Poetry is also a common practice.[6]

Influential Authors

Works

Notable books include:

  • Friends from the Other Side / Amigos del Otro Lado (1993) by Gloria E. Anzaldúa and Consuelo Méndez Castillo (illus.) - a girl living on the US-Mexican border assists a Mexican boy.
  • Cuadros de familia/Family Pictures by Carmen Lomas Garza (1990)
  • I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter (2017) by Erika L. Sanchez - a Mexican-American girl living in Chicago copes with her sister's death and her plans to attend college despite her family's wishes.
  • Out of Darkness (2015) by Ashley Hope Perez - a Mexican-American girl living in Texas during the Great Depression falls in love with an African-American boy and struggles to live with her abusive step-father.
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References
  1. Graciela Italiano. "Reading Latin America: Issues in the Evaluation of Latino Children's Books in Spanish and English" (PDF). www.illinois.edu. Graciela Italiano. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  2. Nathenson-Mejía, Sally; Escamilla, Kathy (2003). "Connecting With Latino Children: Bridging Cultural Gaps with Children's Literature". Bilingual Research Journal. 27 (1): 101–116. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.521.6395. doi:10.1080/15235882.2003.10162593.
  3. Beram, Nell (2017-08-25). "Sorry, Mom, I'm an Aspiring Punk Rocker". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
  4. FURUMOTO, ROSA (2008). "CHAPTER FOUR: Future Teachers and Families Explore Humanization Through Chicana/o/Latina/o Children's Literature". Counterpoints. 321: 79–95. JSTOR 42979960.
  5. Seijas, Jose Luis. "...Latin American Myths and Legends". Latino Life. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
  6. Naidoo, Jamie Campbell (2011). Celebrating Cuentos: Promoting Latino Children's Literature and Literacy in Classrooms and Libraries. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781591589044.
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