Andrea S. Dodd
Research Journal
November 26, 2002

Mexican American Children’s Literature in Education

Introduction

Through this research I have learned that Mexican American children’s literature can play a major role in the education of Mexican American and Mexican immigrant students.  It has been proven that children, who identify with reading materials that relate to their culture, increase-reading skills, develop pride in their ethnic identity, develop knowledge of their cultural history, identify with positive role models, and develop self-esteem.  It’s true that the educational needs of Mexican American and Mexican immigrant students are complex.  Their various levels of education, along with the language barriers make the task difficult for teachers.  However, if school districts would incorporate Mexican American children’s literature in the regular classroom and develop strategies to encourage reading, you would see a change in academic performance in these students.  Why should educators focus on Mexican American children’s literature?   In 1970, the Mexican immigrant population was less than 800,000, compared to nearly 8 million in 2000 (Camarota).  The school dropout rates for Mexican immigrants ages 15-17 is nearly 28%.  The non-enrollment rate for Mexican immigrants who arrived in the United States as teen-agers is even higher, 40% (Schwarz).  These statistics show that the educational system is failing for this student population.  Educational success depends greatly on reading success.  Literary works written for or by Mexican Americans were not represented in mainstream children’s publications in the United States until the 1940”s.  Between 1940 and 1973 there were only four or five books a year published on Mexican American themes by the major publishers of children’s literature (Murray-Velazquez).  However, since 1990 publications by Mexican American authors have increased, educators now have a multitude of Mexican American Children’s literature that they can choose from.  Through this research I would like to identify classroom strategies and Mexican American children’s literature that can be included in the regular curriculum.

Personal Inquiry

Before taking this class I had never questioned whether the books I read were from minority authors or why it was important to read minority literature.  As a native born 3^rd generation Mexican American I felt the school history books were the sole source of learning about history.  The results of the war between Mexico and the United States to me meant that Mexican Americans just ended up assimilating into the dominant culture.  I remember our family getting together playing the guitar and the accordion and making up songs.  My grandfather loved to tell stories “cuentos” called folktales, and sing the old songs he called them “corridos”.  At the time I never knew they had any value, but I now understand that he was telling us about the discriminations and injustices that Mexican American suffered.  I’m glad to say that during his old age I ended up recording them and still have them.  As a child in school during the late 50’s and early 60’s, Mexican American children were not allowed to speak Spanish in school, if we were caught, we were sent to the principal’s office and reprimanded.  At the time I could not understand why.  Why would the school system deny me speaking my native tongue?  My father used to say “To be successful in this United States you need to learn to speak the English language and get a good education, then you can stand up for yourself ”. 

In class we discussed Mexican American’s being ambivalent.  “Ambivalent” means having “mixed feelings” or contradictory attitudes.   At first I questioned that term being given to Mexican Americans attitudes, but I realized it’s true.  We are ambivalent in many ways;  Mexican Americans are proud of their culture, strong in family tradition, and also proud to be Americans.  I never viewed my family or myself as immigrants; I feel this has always been our country.  Maybe we are an ambivalent people because we have lived, fought and worked in this country for many generations with out an acknowledgement of our successes, and what we’ve done for this country.  This country has acknowledged little the successes of any culture except the dominant Anglo-American culture until now, now that the dominant Anglo-American culture is no longer considered as dominant.  With the increase of the Hispanic population changes in education are being made, although these changes are slow.

I.  Mexican American Children’s Literature in Cultural Events

Once a year many school districts identify cultures by celebrating special events.  Cinco de Mayo is one event that school districts use to help Mexican American students develop their sense of culture.  Activities can include special events in dance, music, and cultural foods.  All students should participate in order to develop an understanding of this culture, and to value the differences and similarities.  This event can be emphasized by reading age appropriate Mexican American history, inviting special speakers, authors, and or parents or grandparents to present oral traditions, sharing family histories or experiences. Cinco de Mayo and September 16 are special days celebrated by Mexicans, but for many Mexican American children whose parents are not considered immigrants, the most important part of history is the war between Mexico and the United States.  It is true that these families identify and share the values, language, and customs of Mexicans from Mexico, but they do not feel tied to that country.  It is important for educators to familiarize themselves with this war in order for them to include it in their curriculum.  A brief summary of this war is included in this outline, but more information can be gathered through the Internet.  The war between Mexico and the United States was fought from 1846 to 1848 in what is now the southwestern portion of the United States and northern Mexico.  The conflict was the first to be driven largely by the notion of American “Manifest Destiny.”  “Manifest Destiny” was the belief that the United States had the God-given right, or destiny, to extend its borders from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.  In order to fulfill this dream of expansion, Americans needed land in what are now Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado.  Unfortunately for the Untied States, that land belonged to Mexico at the time.  After a series of skirmishes loosely based on the borders of Texas (a new American state which fought a war ten years earlier to break away from Mexico), President James K. Polk eagerly began to seek war with Mexico as a means to seize large tracts of land.  In the end, his strategy worked and the U.S. got the land it wanted when the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, officially ending the war on February 2, 1848.  However, the war with Mexico did cost America over $100 million and 13,780 American lives (Beyondbooks).  The treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed with the agreement that Mexicans could stay in these lands in peace.  At first there was peace within these two cultures, but as time went on the dominant culture urged the Mexicans to assimilate, with this came resistance.  Several Mexican stayed, but many Mexicans left.   With the understanding of Mexican history Mexican American children can learn to identify with their history and work toward their own identity.

II.  Guidelines for Choosing Good Mexican American Children’s Literature

Special cultural events do not have to take place for educators to incorporate multicultural materials into the classroom.  Educators can display multicultural materials and literature-using centers in the classroom, this gives students an opportunity to view these materials and read the literature whenever they want.  The ERIC Digest (Murray-Velazquez) identifies methods in selecting the best Mexican American children’s literature.   They suggest that educators use the following guidelines when choosing this literature:

·        Does the selection present specific and accurate information about the culture?

·        Do the illustrations and/or text reflect the diversity of the people or do they reflect stereotypes?

·        Are Mexican-origin characters depicted in active (not passive or submissive) roles?

·        Does the story line and/or character development lend itself to a universal interpretation?

·        Does the narrative voice in the selection come from a perspective within the culture?

·        If the cultural elements were removed, would there be a developed plot structure?

·        Is the culture presented in a positive way?  Do the characters come to a constructive resolution of conflicts?  Are the characters multidimensional?

·        Can mainstream works (i.e., literary canon) parallel the themes, issues, or characters of the selection?  Identify them, then compare and discuss.

·        Are the Spanish words or phrases in the text understandable within the context of the sentences?  Is there a glossary?

This digest also suggests literatures by grade level that represent some of the authentic within-the-culture perspectives. 

III.  Review of Mexican American Children’s Literature and the Authors

Two stories that I have chosen to summarize and review for cultural elements are “Tomas and the Library Lady”, by Pat Mora and “Bless me Ultima”, by Rudolfo Anaya.   Through the Internet under the author’s name, educators can find on line daily lesson plans that will increase the students understanding of the story and ways to increase students cultural awareness.

Tomas and the Library Lady, by Pat Mora  (Suggested Grades PreK-3)

This story is about a young boy named Tomas and his family.  They are farm workers from Texas.  They pick fruit and vegetables in Texas during the winter and for Iowa farmers in the summer.  Their family shared a small house with other workers. Papa Grande carried the old tradition of telling stories; Tomas loved hearing the stories in Spanish.  Papa Grande encouraged Tomas to go to the Library, so that Tomas could teach them new stories.  The first day the library lady let Tomas take books home, as she offered to check the books out in her name.  Tomas went home and read the stories to the family in Spanish and then in English.  Papa Grande encouraged Tomas to read in English.  Tomas spent much of his time during that summer in the Library, the library lady encouraged Tomas to read to her and teach her some words in Spanish.  One August, Tomas brought his Papa Grande to the library; the library lady greeted him in Spanish. Tomas had to leave but not before giving her a package of sweet bread his mother had baked.

Review of cultural elements: Many Mexican American families have extended families that work and live together – in the story Tomas and his family are migrant workers, they live and work together.  Papa Grande is respected and carries on the oral tradition of telling family stories.  Papa Grande encourages Tomas to go to the library, so he can tell them new stories, but I feel this was a way for Papa Grande to help Tomas carry the tradition of story telling.  In many Mexican American families the adults speak very little English and the children are bi-lingual; that is why Tomas read the stories in Spanish respectfully, and then in English.  Many Mexican immigrants are migrant workers, children can identify with this part of the book that says the library lady checked the library books out for him; the library lady knew that as a migrant workers they did not have an address.  Papa Grande encouraged Tomas to read in English – to the Mexican American families it is important to learn English if you are to be successful in the United States.  Papa Grande meets the library lady and she greets him in his native language, the library lady understood that respect is very important to this culture.  Tomas’s mother sent the library lady sweet bread – when a Mexican American gives food as a gift, it is an honor, it shows her deep appreciation.  This book is based on a true individual and gives an account at the end of the story about Tomas Rivera.  He was a migrant worker who valued education and became the chancellor of the University of California.  The campus library now bears his name.  This book acknowledges that even a poor migrant student can learn and become successful.

About the Author: Pat Mora was born on January 19, 1942, in El Paso, Texas, but grew up speaking mostly Spanish at home, with the influence of her four grandparents who had come to Texas from Mexico in the early part of the century.  Mora received her B.A. in 1963 from Texas Western College and her M.A. from the University of Texas at El Paso in 1967.  Mora held teaching positions at the secondary and college levels.  She was also the host of a radio show called “Voices: The Mexican-American in Perspective.”  After her divorce in 1981, Mora left teaching and went on to write children’s books and poetry, working diligently to maintain the pride and respect she felt should be invested into the preservation of Mexican-American literature (Abreu-Booth-Woodruff).

Bless Me Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya (Suggested for Grades 10-12)

This story is about a six-year-old named Antonio (Tony) Marez, who struggles to find the truth of life.  It is a story of his coming out becoming a young man.  He lives outside a small town of Guadalupe in New Mexico with his father, mother and two sisters. His three brothers have gone to war.  His mother insisted on moving there because she felt there would be more opportunity and school for the children.  His mother is a Luna, her people have spent there lives as farmers; his father is a Marez, his people are wanderers across the ocean of the plains,  “vaqueros”. Tony’s mother wants him to be a priest and his father wants him to be a Marez.  He begins the story about starting in the beginning when Ultima comes to live with the family.  Ultima is a “curandera”, one who cures with herbs and magic.  She understands Tony and his struggle for knowledge of what is truth.  There is much tragedy in this story that Tony witness; this causes him to question should he believe in God, the Golden Carp, or the powers of Ultima.

Review of cultural elements: This story has many words in Spanish that are simple to understand for the reader and or can easily be defined.  It is also about family, their ties, and respect for each other, which is a major part of this culture.  Mother insists on moving for the sake of her children’s education, especially Tony, she feels that he is special - in the Mexican American culture, it is a blessing to have a boy; they carry on the family traditions and the family name.  The Catholic religion and mysticism, “bruhas” and  “curanderas” are part of the beliefs of this culture – children can personally identify or have heard stories of this nature.  This is an excellent book in which children will not have any trouble identifying with.    

About the author: 

Rudolfo Anaya was born in October 30, 1937 in Pastura, New Mexico.  Rudolfo Anaya’s evocative work is steeped in the land and life of his native Southwest.  The firs of his seven novels, Bless Me, Ultima (1972), a coming-of-age story set in 1940s New Mexico, is considered a classic of modern American literature.  Anaya has also brought his storytelling gifts to essays, children’s books, plays, poetry, and the 1998 mystery Shaman Winter.  His 1999 novel Alburquerque (the extra “r” reflects the city’s original Spanish spelling) won the PEN Center West Award-just one of Anaya’s many honors.  Anaya is professor emeritus of English at the University of New Mexico (Factmonster).

There are many more books that educators can use to increase skills; use the guidelines when selecting these books.

Other of ERIC’s Digest suggested Mexican American children’s books are:

Suggested for grades Pre-K – 3 :  Hairs:  Pelitos,  by Sandra Cisneros, Abuela, by Arthur Dorros,  I Speak English for My Mom, by Muriel Stanek.

Suggested for grades 4-6:  Calor, by Amado Pena, Rosita’s Christmas Wish, by Mary Ann Smother Bruni, Saturday Market, by Patricia Grossman

Suggested for grades 7-9:  El Mago, by Ron Arias, Friends from the Other Side, by Gloria Anzaldua, Latino Voices, by Frances Aparicio.

Suggested for grades 10-12:  Barrio Boy, by Ernesto Galarza, The Day the Cisco Kid Shot John Wayne, by Nash Candelaria, Pieces of the Heart, by Gary Soto.

Summary

In researching Mexican American children’s literature I have found a wealth of information that I did not know existed.  Most of all I found Mexican American authors who have wonderfully written books that represent our culture, with stories that take me back to my childhood. The importance of including Mexican American children’s literature is evident not only can children identify with the characters, but they can also learn to understand their own culture.  The National Education Association (NEA) interviewed Rudolfo Anaya and he was quoted as saying “I went all the way through college and never saw a Mexican American as a hero in a book.  We need to correct that! It's time to see our multicultural reality in books”.   I strongly agree with this.  I worked in a school system for a brief period and temporarily served as English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher.  Our school had no curriculum for ESL students and no library books that the Mexican American children could relate to.  To make matters worse the Texas Education Agency visited and said nothing.  As educators we must change this, and provide the necessary tools so that our Mexican American students can succeed.

WORK CITED

Camarota, Steven A. Immigration from Mexico:  Assessing the Impact on the United States, July 2001.  http://www.cis.org/articles/2001/Mexico/release.html

Schwarz, Joel. University Week:  Mexican–born Teens Drop out at a Higher Rate, 2002

http://depts.washington.edu/~uweek/archives/2002.02FEB_07/news_e.html

Murray, Yvonne I. – Velazquez, Jose.  Promoting Reading Among Mexican American Children, ERIC Digest,  1999. 

http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed438150.html

Beyond Books. The Mexican American War.  New Forum Publishers, Inc., 2002.

http://www.beyondbooks.com/lam12/00070513.asp

Anaya, Rudolfo.  Bless Me Ultima.  New York:  Warner Books, Inc., 1994.

Mora, Pat.  Tomas and the Library Lady.  New York:  Random House, Inc., 1997.

Abreu, Delia - Booth, Kristene – Woodruff, Beth.  Voices from the Gaps:  Women Writers of Color, 2000. http://voices.cla.umn.edu/authors/patmora.html

Fact Monster.  Rudolfo Anaya.  Family Education Network, Inc, 2002-2002. 

http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0884317.html