¡Mira, Look!: Lucía the luchadora

Hoy hablaremos de Lucía the luchadora, una historia de la escritora Cynthia Leonor Garza, que hizo su debut en literatura infantil ilustrada en 2017 y actualmente reside con su familia en Nairobi (Kenia), y la ilustradora Alyssa Bermudez, afincada en Tasmania (Australia). Acompáñanos y salta para derribar prejuicios con nuestra Lucía, quien hace todo lo posible por seguir su propio camino en una red de caminos fuertemente señalizada.

El libro está compuesto por una amalgama textual (en lengua inglesa) y colorido visual que se complementan y crean un conjunto evocador. Lucía the luchadora es una niña entusiasta a quien la indiferencia y ciertos comentarios prejuiciosos de otros niños le hacen cuestionarse su propia valía. Como ser lleno de energía, de aquellos que no se amilanan con los cortapisas de los demás, juega incansablemente en el parque; haciendo acrobacias de todo tipo, a la vez que se da cuenta del poco interés que genera. Incluso algunos niños sostienen con cierto desdén que ese tipo de acrobacias y juegos, propios de los superhéroes, no está hecho para las niñas: ¡las chicas no pueden ser superhéroes!

Pero no pueden estar más equivocados, porque al día siguiente, cuando Lucía aparece en el parque después de haber ideado un plan con su abuela y vestir su máscara de luchadora, es la sensación total de todo el parque. Todos los presentes se animan a seguir sus juegos, marcando tendencia en los próximos días con luchadores y luchadoras al unísono. Pero, hete aquí que los prejuicios entran en escena de nuevo cuando ciertos rasgos como el color rosa descubren quiénes son las luchadoras. De nuevo aquel las chicas no pueden ser superhéroes surge como un dardo envenenado que Lucía salva con gracia al evitar que su perrito caiga por el tobogán; y tras lo cual descubre su identidad. Ahora todos saben quién es ella, y genera un seguimiento que hará que todos se unan en su disfrute por las acrobacias, dejando a un lado aquellas diferencias que sirven para separar.

De nuevo una historia pensada para el público infantil trasciende las fronteras de la lectura naíf para reposar en la reflexión social sobre un tema acuciante y recientemente traído a la palestra con mayor vehemencia de la mano de la industria del cine: la igualdad de género, la creación de espacios no restrictivos para que las mujeres ejerzan su derecho a participar activamente de nuestras sociedades sin paliativos. Lucía es una luchadora, metáfora mexicana en el cuadrilátero de la lucha libre, que representa la voz femenina e infantil; aquella que no ha sido coartada por los prejuicios y que tiene el potencial de atajarlos porque no ha conocido el continuo y rotundo no. Sus saltos y acrobacias tienen el poder de hacerle llegar a los demás, generando una suerte de unión que está por encima de lo divisorio.

Aunque parcialmente enmascarada, Lucía se da cuenta de que el miedo a exponerse, en definitiva a ser vulnerable, es simplemente otra forma más de autocensurar el lugar que merece en el parque: con todos. Lucía the luchadora extiende sus tentáculos hasta el mundo adulto para hacernos ver la fuerza de la identidad propia, de la autodeterminación en un ambiente de cierta hostilidad. Una hostilidad que, si bien cargada de malicia o ignorancia, deja espacio no obstante para verse empequeñecida cuando la valía personal, más allá del género, la raza o la sexualidad emerge para desafiarla.

Todos aquellos que en algún momento hemos sentido rechazo o indiferencia por ser nosotros mismos, somos también Lucía. Tenemos el potencial para hacernos oír, y si somos pacientes, con el tiempo descubriremos que, a pesar de todo, sí es posible ser auténticos con nosotros mismos y con los demás.

Cynthia Leonor Garza ha debutado con Lucía the luchadora como escritora de literatura infantil ilustrada en el año 2017. En su recorrido profesional ha participado como periodista en las publicaciones The Houston Chronicle o el Fort Worth Star-Telegram, además de escribir ensayos. Por su parte, la ilustradora Alyssa Bermudez ha trabajado con clientes de la talla de The New York Magazine, Pearson Publishing o Hobart City Council.

Recursos relacionados y enfocados a la promoción de la inclusión en las aulas:

• Cynthia Leonor Garza, escritora.
• Alyssa Bermudez, ilustradora.
• POW Kids Books, editorial.
• Guía curricular de Becky Palacios, incluida en la web de la autora.
• Entrevista en National Public Radio (npr) a la autora en la que explica su motivación para escribir esta obra.

Espero que os haya gustado la recomendación de hoy y que, al igual que Lucía, os animéis a derribar los rancios prejuicios que nos rodean ¡Seguid atentos a la serie del mes!

Santi

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¡Mira, Look!: Xóchitl, la niña de las flores

¡Hola a todos de nuevo!

Hoy vamos a hablar de Xóchitl, la niña de las flores del autor Jorge Argueta y el ilustrador Carl Angel, asentados ambos artistas en la ciudad de San Francisco y alrededores. Si te gustaron nuestras críticas pasadas, acompáñanos y déjate llevar por otra bonita historia en español, de esas que adquieren tanto más sentido cuando se cuentan en nuestra propia lengua.

Xóchitl, la niña de las flores es una historia de superación ofrecida simultáneamente en español e inglés, que enfatiza la importancia de la comunidad, y es contada a través de la mirada inocente de una niña salvadoreña en San Francisco, muy muy lejos del país y la cultura que la vieron nacer. La historia se desarrolla circularmente desde un momento inicial donde el papá y la mamá de Xóchitl [Xochi] trabajan arduamente para salir adelante, pintando casas o trabajando de lo que encuentra y limpiando casas respectivamente. La mamá de Xóchitl también se dedica a vender flores frescas por el barrio, ayudada en ocasiones por su hija.

Ambas disfrutan mucho vendiendo flores juntas, por lo que saltan de alegría cuando el papá les propone mudarse a otra casa con patio trasero y convertir este en un vivero para sus queridas flores. Cuando la comunidad se vuelca en ayudarlos y en crear un espacio limpio y bonito, listo para que vengan a vivir las flores y las plantas, don Roberto, el dueño del lugar, aparece amenazando con denunciarles a las autoridades por entretener a toda clase de gente en una zona residencial.

Y es aquí donde entra en juego el sostén de la comunidad, la fuerza resultante de algo más que la suma de todos los elementos, que se pondrá de acuerdo para convencer al dueño de las ventajas de tener un vivero en vez de un basurero. La historia, pasado este mal trago, cierra su ciclo con el acercamiento de la familia de Xóchitl y don Roberto.

Una vez más la inocencia es el hilo conductor de esta historia de final feliz sí, pero con una pátina de valores como el esfuerzo y la superación personal que trasciende, dejándose llevar por detalles preciosistas incrustados en vivencias que reflejan ese impulso tan humano de seguir hacia delante en cualquier circunstancia. El Salvador se menciona como una nebulosa de recuerdos que no hacen sino transportarnos a San Francisco, a miles de kilómetros; una ciudad con fuerte presencia de emigrantes—muchos de ellos hispanoamericanos, pero parte inevitable de un país con una lengua y una cultura diferentes.

De una forma casi magnética, el libro nos invita a mirar a nuestros vecinos y preguntarnos qué hay más allá de lo superficial. Nos invita a cultivar nuestro respeto por los demás y a regar con abundante agua fresca las relaciones en comunidad. Porque la vida de barrio es un bonito microcosmos, un jardín en el que plantar esas flores que son personas y relaciones, y que perfectamente podrían echar sus raíces a nivel macro. Quizá universalizar nuestros barrios sea una manera de superar tanto individualismo.

El autor Jorge Argueta se inspiró en una historia real del barrio de Mission District en la ciudad de San Francisco para escribir Xóchitl, la niña de las flores, y se lo dedica cariñosamente a todas las arduas trabajadoras que venden flores en las calles para sacar adelante a sus hijos. Este poeta y profesor nacido en El Salvador lleva en San Francisco desde los años 1980, tiempo durante el cual ha tenido oportunidad de escribir otros libros como Una película en mi almohada, ganador en 2002 del Premio Américas a la Literatura Latinoamericana y el IPPY por Ficción Multicultural para el público juvenil.

Por su parte, el ilustrador Carl Angel, tiene en su haber obras como Lakas and the Manilatown Fish o Mga Kuwentong Bayan: Folk Stories from the Philippines. En su caso su contribución también está dedicada a la gente de Mission District.

Recursos relacionados y enfocados en la aplicación educativa para la promoción de los valores de respeto, esfuerzo y unión de la comunidad:

• Jorge Argueta, autor.
• Carl Angel, ilustrador.
• Guía educativa del publicista, Lee & Low Books.
• Teaching Central America, página web creada por la organización no lucrativa Teaching for Change, en cuya financiación participa LAII, para enseñar aspectos de El Salvador y otros países centroamericanos.
• Otros títulos relevantes sobre El Salvador de Teaching for Change.
• Teaching Tolerance, Rethinking Schools, Facing History son recursos en línea para educadores que quieran inspirar a sus estudiantes e instruirles la importancia de aceptar a los demás y respetar sus derechos.

¡Espero que os haya gustado la recomendación literaria de hoy!

Nos vemos en unos días para seguir echando nuestra imaginación a volar y de paso reflexionar sobre el papel que queremos desempeñar en nuestras sociedades.

Santi

An Américas Award Interview: Meg Medina

Meg Medina is an award-winning Cuban American author who writes picture books, middle grade, and YA fiction. Her work examines how cultures intersect, as seen through the eyes of young people. She brings to audiences stories that speak to both what is unique in Latino culture and to the qualities that are universal. Her favorite protagonists are strong girls.

Among the many praises her work elicits, the Américas Award has acknowledged her exceptional contributions to Latin American and Latino literature for children and youth. Titles that have appeared on the Commended Lists for the Américas Award include Burn Baby Burn (2017) and Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass (2014).

Here, the author converses with Hania Mariën of the Vamos a Leer blog as she poses questions about Medina’s work, her inspirations, and the importance of bringing Latinx literature into the classroom. For more information, including publications and supporting educational resources, visit https://megmedina.com/

June, 2017

HANIA MARIËN: According to your website, a lot of your work focuses on supporting girls, reaching out to Latino youth, and fostering literacy. Can you talk a bit about how and why you are interested in these topics and how your work as an author and educator supports these intersecting efforts?

MEG MEDINA: That’s a big question. Like everyone else, I’m a composite of interests and influences. I was raised in a house led mostly by women, so there was a distinctly female lens on things. My mother and aunts had been teachers in Cuba, so there was always an interest in literacy and learning, too – not to mention an immersion in Cuban culture and customs.

As for feminism, I’d say that my interest sprang from being a child who came of age in the mid 1970s, which was a golden age of feminism in New York. This was the time of Ms. Magazine, Gloria Steinem, Bella Abzug, and the first Women’s International Congress.

I’ve stayed interested in these topics because they shaped me. I occupy this world as a female and a Latina – it’s the only set of eyes I have. What I’ve chosen to do with that perspective is to turn it into an art form and to use that art form not only to understand myself better, but also to help build pride, connection, and resilience in young readers.

HANIA MARIËN: Can you elaborate on your process of trying to write for and about Latinos?  In an interview with Publishers’ Weekly, for instance, you acknowledged the diversity of Latino and Latin American cultures and the difficulty of trying to write about that breadth of perspectives.

MEG MEDINA: I think the umbrella term “Latino” is so very broad. It encompasses many countries, races, economic realities, and experiences. But which stories get told and by whom? What gets to be called authentic representation?

As an author, what I try to bring to my work is an honest look at the bicultural Cuban American experience, as I lived it. Some of the characters and situations in my novels transfer easily to other immigrant groups, particularly from Latin America, and I’m glad for that. These include the struggle to separate from the parents’ culture; language issues; trying to get a footing in a new country; and facing down overt and veiled racism.

But my work is not nearly enough to tell the whole story of Latinos. For that you need many more perspectives. My dream is to see many more authors add their stories to what is available for children, so that we can start to see the true tapestry.

HANIA MARIËN: Many of your books feature strong women protagonists. Can you speak about your definition of feminism and how feminism informs your writing and outreach efforts?

MEG MEDINA: I am proudly a feminist, and I define that as a celebration of women who are strong, independent, and equally valued in their homes and the larger society. I write books that celebrate girls, particularly Latinas, as they work on their resilience and their own voice. To that end, I reject stereotypes of Latinas which are, sadly, everywhere in books and other media. Girls clad in tight, cheetah print clothes. Girls who are written as hot-tempered and overly sexualized, as gang members, as drop outs, as victims. The list goes on. I write to expand the narrative to include the real women I knew and to honor the young women in classrooms that I meet every day.  They’re smart. They have agency. And they deserve nuanced and respectful representations of who they are.

HANIA MARIËN: You’ve written that you are an “author of libros for kids of all ages.” This calls to mind your fluid ability to move between Spanish and English.  Can you speak about being bilingual and what bilingualism has meant to you personally and professionally?

MEG MEDINA: I think and speak in two languages, and the line between the two is anything but static. The reality of Latino families is that language is fluid. For example, perhaps grandparents speak only Spanish, parents speak both – to varying degrees – and maybe the child can speak Spanish and English, but not read or write both. Or perhaps the child doesn’t speak Spanish at all. Or maybe Spanish isn’t the home language. The possibilities are endless. Families still communicate, though. So, I like to capture the mixture of Spanish and English that forms the practical way that we speak to each other in our homes. I love, too, to see the phrases that are borrowed from each language and how they impact each other. Some people complain that the use of Spanglish is distracting, but to whom, exactly? Not to me. So, I’m unapologetic. Language is always evolving and we have to adapt. What was a selfie 20 years ago? What was fake news before last year? These are new expressions that reflect what’s happening. Language expands to make room for them. It works the same with Spanglish phrases.

HANIA MARIËN: It sounds like it’s not uncommon for you to speak directly with the students who are reading your books. What are some of the lessons or insights you’ve learned from speaking with them? Have they changed the way you write or informed your process in any way?

MEG MEDINA: Meeting students in person is always a highlight, and it’s always a confirmation of what I know to be true: That growing up is hard, and that young people want to have a voice in what is happening around them. Classrooms are far more diverse than they were when I was younger, so I like to recreate worlds that reflect the true friendships, complex families, and strains that exist for them now.

I like to see my work connect with all kids, but it’s true that it’s especially satisfying when I see Latino kids feel proud or simply seen for the first time in a classroom where my books are being read. In those scenarios, they become the classroom experts and can translate phrases or explain why something is happening, or add in a meaningful way to the discussion about things that their classmates might be unfamiliar with. It elevates kids to a place of power over their own knowledge and story.

HANIA MARIËN: In an interview with the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, you say that the stories of your heritage gave you a “sense of place in history and in my family, a sense of what I came from, and a sense of my family’s strength.”  Do you have any advice for educators who want to help students understand their own histories?  And how reading diverse literature might help them learn and understand their own stories better?

MEG MEDINA: I think your school and classroom library should be as wide ranging as possible and should represent as many world views as possible. It’s our strongest path to creating young people who are empathetic and thoughtful about others. Comb the lists of winners of the Pura Belpré, the Tomás Rivera Award, the Américas Award for Literature, the Coretta Scott King, the Asian Pacific Writers, American Indian Youth Literature awards.  You can find links to all of them on the ALA home page, but this is where you’ll find the very best examples of literature that speaks to a wide range of points of view.

My only caution is remembering not to rely solely on making a single child the ambassador for a whole culture. What you’re after is a classroom full of children that are opening the curiosity and understanding of other people.

HANIA MARIËN: You’ve long been involved in the We Need Diverse Books movement and organization. Can you talk a bit about the meaning of the phrase, “diverse books,” and their importance in the classroom?

MEG MEDINA: Some people use the term diverse to mean books featuring people from a range of races, but I use the term to mean a full scope of experiences beyond simply race and culture to include LGBTQ, disabilities, and more – all the experiences that you are very likely to find at some point in a classroom today.

It’s important to include books that speak the experience of these various communities – especially if they are written by authors who have lived those experiences. Without space on your shelves for such books, we create the impression that only some people matter or that only some experiences are worthy of consideration. The fact is that children are not going to school in a bubble, and they won’t become adults who live in a bubble either. They will work, live, and play with a full range of human beings. Books give readers important information and understanding, even if it is fictionalized.

HANIA MARIËN: In regards to the same, do you think the recent push for diverse books has a risk of passing away as some trends do? Are there concrete ways that we (as readers, writers, educators, students, and more) can help make the commitment a long-standing one among publishers?

MEG MEDINA: I doubt it will pass. A trend is fleeting. But a societal shift in population is another thing entirely. And that’s what the statistics tell us that we have in the US.

So, as educators, what are we planning to tell the ever-increasing number of so-called minority students?  That there are no books that represent them? Are we going to cling to collections and reading lists that reflect an earlier time or one that reflects the world we actually live in?

As educators, as parents, as community leaders, we need to purchase a wide range of books, invite a representative range of authors to our schools, encourage eclectic reading tastes in young people so that they can move through their world prepared.

HANIA MARIËN: Thinking about what lies ahead, are there any projects you have in the works that you can tell us about?

MEG MEDINA: I have a new middle grade novel due out in the fall of 2018. It’s based on characters that I developed for a short story that I wrote for the We Need Diverse Books anthology, Flying Lessons and Other Stories. And, I’ve been keeping my eye on things as Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass is developed as a TV series on HULU. The producers are the fabulous Gina Rodriguez and Eugenio Derbez – and the writer is Dailyn Rodriguez, who wrote for “Ugly Betty” and other well-known shows. I’m thrilled that it’s Latino talent all the way through.

HANIA MARIËN: In your interview with the Washington Post you mention that we need editors, marketing people, book reviewers, etc. with “wider sensibilities.” You also mention we don’t know our own “blind spots.” What role can books play in helping us – as educators and students of the world – learn about our blind spots?

MEG MEDINA: I think that reading and following critical discussions about books offer educators a chance to deepen how they select and evaluate a book for a collection. You may have loved Little House in the Big Woods as a child, but if you read it as an adult, you’ll find some troubling dialogue. The same is true for Harriet the Spy and any number of beloved classics. But it’s not just a problem of past works. Unfortunately, we still have books written today that use language, illustrations, or situations that are offensive to the groups being portrayed.

I think that supporting books that are written by #ownvoices authors is one step in the right direction.

The other step is to go beyond quick assessment of a book. We’re all busy, so it’s easy to flip through a review journal to see if a book got stars.

But these days, you need more. By following the sometimes-gut-wrenching arguments about new books, you can learn how to ask yourself harder questions about books and how not to gloss over something offensive simply because you never thought of it as problematic before. You learn to look beyond the reviewing agencies to find out if a book is raising red flags on offensive content. You learn to tune in to the people from groups whose stories have been told incorrectly or boorishly, and you develop a more respectful way to assess the quality of books representing that experience.

No one gets everything right all the time. And some disagreements will stay just that: disagreements. But the dialogue matters and the overdue shift if respect is essential.

HANIA MARIËN: Finally, as the child of immigrants yourself, are there any words of advice or inspiration you can offer to the educators out there who may have young immigrants in their classrooms? In these particularly contentious and troubling times, what might they do to better support immigrants and refugee children?

MEG MEDINA: I think we are at risk of traumatizing immigrant children right now. Imagine being thought of not as someone who adds value to a classroom, but as a drain, a criminal, a scourge.

As educators, our number one job is to create a space where children can feel safe to learn. One way to do that is to celebrate the people they are, to celebrate their families and the perspectives they bring to us. If ever there was a time for literature that focuses on the universal qualities of families and growing up, it’s now. Look at your students. Who are they? Now, go find as many books as you can that includes them in the pages.

 

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Photograph of author. Reprinted courtesy of Petite Shards Productions.

December 9th | Week in Review

¡Hola a todos! Winter break is about to start, so this is is my last post for this year. It is an honor for me to share all of these resources. I can’t wait to see what 2017 brings to all of us. I hope the coming holidays bring you peace, happiness, serenity, and excitement.

– Our Facebook friends Latinos in Kid Lit shared Creating a Diverse Book Legacy: Interview with Culture Chest Founder. “We are a humble startup with big dreams of promoting culture through books, toys, and other avenues.”

– Also, Lee & Low Books shared their top 5: Getting in the Winter Spirit Reading List. I
personally like the book The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

¡Mira Look!: Drum Dream Girl by Margarita Engle

Saludos, todos! This week we are featuring Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music, written by Margarita Engle and illustrated by Rafael López. As some of you may remember, we recently featured Margarita Engle in our Author’s Corner, where we gave you some biographical information, as well as some resources for exploring and teaching some of her works in young adult and children’s literature. In Drum Dream Girl, Engle does not cease to amaze us yet again. With Drum Dream Girl (ages 3-8) we continue our March celebration of Women’s History Month and our theme of women’s rights and experiences in children’s literature, by focusing on the story of a lesser-known historical figure. Through her beautiful poetic prose, Engle tells the biographical tale of a young, Cuban girl who counters gender norms in order to become one of Cuba’s most iconic female drummers.

López’s stunning illustrations complement Engle’s lyrical prose in a culmination of female empowerment and pride. As illustrator López dedicates the book to his “architect mother, Pilo, whose courage opened the ceiling above her dreams,” readers are reminded of the strength and brilliance of older generations of women, paving the way towards freedom and rights for younger generations. This book strongly resonates with the legacy of women’s rights and empowerment throughout history, in the Americas and beyond.

Drum Dream Girl is based on the true story of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a Chinese-African-Cuban girl living in the 1930s who successfully struggled against the social stigma for female drummers, becoming one of Cuba’s great, historic musicians. Engle narrates the tale through concise, lyrical writing, consistent with her style of fusing poetry and prose: “But everyone/ on the island of music/ in the city of drumbeats/ believed that only boys/ should play drums/ so the drum dream girl/ had to keep dreaming/ quiet/ secret/ drumbeat/ dreams.” This style is both easy for younger readers to follow and digest, and lyrically pleasing for older readers or adults.

WWW: International Women’s Day and Women Today!

¡Feliz viernes a todos!

Thank you for joining me today! Somehow this week escaped me and so I don’t have such a long post for you. I did, however, manage to find this video from The Guardian that showcases some important women from all over the world who are making a difference in the lives of the people around them hoy en día.

We think this video ties in the themes of activism and important women in history, and could be used in class with older groups to discuss changes students wish they could see in their own worlds.  Join me again next week for a longer post on women’s rights in South America, Berta Cáceres, and the Zika Virus!

With warmest wishes,

Charla

¡Mira Look!: Fiesta Femenina, Celebrating Women in Mexican Folktale

Saludos todos! Welcome to this month’s first blog post! Throughout the month of March we will be celebrating Women’s History Month by focusing our attention on wonderful women in history, literature and our every-day lives. More specifically, this month we will feature books about female icons in Latin America, the representation of women in indigenous folklore, and the every-day experiences of female protagonists in works of children’s literature. These books will celebrate the life and role of women in societies across the Americas, and the enduring inspiration of women’s history. Furthermore, with this month’s theme, we aim to diversify our understanding of Women’s History Month by focusing on timeless female icons and heroic activists, but also on the every-day women who have sustained life, love and culture over the years. Women worthy of recognition are all around us and this month we celebrate their infinite contributions.

We are starting the month off with Fiesta Femenina, Celebrating Women in Mexican Folktale, written by Mary-Joan Gerson and illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez. In this collection, Gerson has compiled a series of Mexican folktales, drawing from Maya, Aztec, Mixtec and Yaqui traditions. The tales have been selected for their strong female protagonists, in an effort to highlight the role of women in Mexican folklore. Gerson explains her intentions in the introduction of the book: