Books as Mirrors, Windows, and Bridges

This article was written by Duncan Tonatiuh, author and illustrator, a keynote speaker of the junior high school representative who met you at the 2016 NCTE Annual Meeting.

I am a writer illustrator with 6 picture books. Some of my books are novels and some are nonfiction. They have various themes, but they are somewhat related to American culture in Mexico and Mexico. I think it is important to make these books. Because, despite being one of the largest groups in the United States, Mexican-American and Latin-American children have very limited access to themselves and their culture . In 2015 3,400 children's books are published, but less than 3% are written in Latin or Latin.

When Latin children see themselves in a book, I think they will help them understand that their voices are important. As a writer, one of my most powerful experiences was when a group of 4th grade in Texas shared a video I made after reading my book, Pancho Rabbit and Coyote. Pancho Rabbit is a fable that resembles Little Red Riding Hood, but it is also a fable that often confronts immigrants in Central America and Mexico when struggling to get to America. Student Videos

It is a pluralistic poem about their families and their own transit experience. I was touched when I saw the video, but in my book I encourage these students to talk about their experiences, especially if the immigrants are politically vibrant themes.

Books on Latin are also important for children other than Latino. They can create empathy and build a bridge. I have the opportunity to share my book 'unique' with students from all over the USA. This book is the case of the 1940s which classified the school of California seven years before the breakthrough case of Brown v. Board of Education. At that time, Mexican American and Latino children in many parts of the Southwestern part did not allow white children to attend school.

Many people do not know this. I did not know this until recently. When other small ethnic children, especially African-American children listen to this, they often establish contact. They saw that African Americans, Latino Americans and other minorities had to cope with some of the same prejudices. They are seeing people different from them. They are different, they are not strangers to them.

Duncan Tonatiuh is an award winning illustrator. He grew up in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and graduated from Parsons Design School in New York. His goal is to create images and stories to celebrate the past, but these images and stories are related to people, especially Latino children.

I think the author of the minority background lacks books. For white students, they have a lot of mirrors, but there are no windows to see other worlds, and they can benefit from the wisdom and knowledge they have accumulated over thousands of years . For minority students, white writers' books have a universal theme, but in addition to the lack of a learning window, the lack of ethnic minority and historical and life depictions also shows a serious shortage of mirrors - They can not find like themselves in their books

We know that children's books will look like mirrors and windows in the world. Mirrors, they can reflect on their own lives, windows, they can give the children the opportunity to understand the lives of other people. We also know that this kind of self-reflection and the opportunity to read and hear different lives are very important for young people. Prejudice studies show that contact with various people, so-called "other", helps to reduce stereotypes. This is because when we see people who look different at the beginning, we know them and approach them through their story. "Others" can not be seen so far, "Others" is not so

Please find a window. A book similar to our life is called a "mirror". A book that makes it possible to see a different life from us is called a "window". Classics extend the perspective of different worlds, different cultures, and different historical perspectives. When you read literature you will get to know Russia better. I am white, so I can read Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes to better understand the culture of African Americans. Literature connects race, culture, religion and geography