This introductory course examines social, political, economic, and historical issues as they impact the Chicana/o/x experience in the U.S. Topics include identity, gender, language, race, sexuality, immigration, labor, poverty, and education. It is designed to acquaint students with the interdisciplinary models and paradigms developed within the field of Chicana/o/x Studies.
In 2020, there were a total of 3,115 BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) children’s books by U.S. publishers, only 212 of those books were written by Latinx authors and 191 of those books were about Latinx characters. When it comes to diversity in children’s literature, Latinx and Indigenous representation suffer worse than that of Asian and Black representation.
“Data on books by and about Black, Indigenous and People of Color published for children and teens compiled by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison.”
"Books by and/or about Black, Indigenous and People of Color 2018-" Cooperative Children's Book Center. University of Wisconsin - Madison. 24 May 2022. https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/literature-resources/ccbc-diversity-statistics/books-by-and-or-about-poc-2018/. Accessed 11 June 2022.
It is important to expose children, especially Latinx children to stories that reflect their communities, heritage, families, neighborhoods, traditions, etc. The intention of Dr. Arévalo’s Anti-Racist Children’s Literature Project is for CHST 101 students at Río Hondo College to create a children’s book that speaks to the Latinx community.
Children’s books are short stories that can serve a range of purposes. Children’s books can be used to empower, inspire, educate, inform, and promote literacy. Children can read stories where they see their own cultural heritage represented with characters that reflect who they are and who they can become. Stories can teach children to grow a sense of appreciation and admiration for their family, friends, and community. Children’s books can be educational, to bring awareness and activate the courage necessary to create social change. Children can read stories to explore their imagination, creativity, and develop emotional intelligence. Stories can be created to nurture growth, development, and critical thinking.
The possibilities for children’s stories are endless!
Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. "The Danger of a Single Story." TED, TEDGlobal 2009, https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=en.
Lucha Arevalo
