by Samantha Smigel and Julia López-Robertson, The University of South Carolina
We end our blog this month with a look at ¡Juventud! Growing up on the Border (Saldaña, 2013), a collection of short stories and memories from a variety of authors. Each author shares their growing up experiences with readers. Comprised of short stories and poems, so much can be said with so few words. The poetry and stories in this book are mesmerizing as each one reveals small moments to which all readers can relate. The words share memoirs, love, and family traditions from different perspectives and cultures. I [Samantha] felt as though I was in each of these families, making connections, relating to some of the events, all the while gaining perspective and compassion.
Many of these families reflect the lives of students in our classes. This book approaches delicate family matters with care and compassion. In one story a boy notices the map of life displayed on the hands of a grandfather. We all have stories and pasts that make us who we are today, a map of where we have been and where we hope to go. The authors’ voice in the preface reflects this as she [Garza-Johnson] details her discovery of books in her school library written in Spanish. This pride justifies why having bilingual books and embracing culture in our classrooms is so important. As teachers we need to create that self-pride in our students. She later said she felt shame and read in the shadows. I have never experienced that, but libraries I visit are in my native language. The stories in the book make readers consider their own pasts and family traditions while reflecting on the lives of others.
There is not a theme untouched in the pages of this book. From love and loss to family and religion, these stories and poems cover topics to which everyone can relate. They touch on the personal lives of many who have crossed borders in their lives.
The common theme of crossing borders was presented throughout the book. One poem described a family who are migrants working during the summer as their family crosses many states picking vegetables from fields. The poem ends as the children are asked in school about where they had gone during the summer and the children say they went nowhere. I enjoyed this poem the most because I can see this happening in any classroom. These children have traveled for months passing through states in the Midwest, yet get to school and do not think they’ve been anywhere. Their classmates speak of trips but these students do not reveal all the places they’ve been. Students in our classroom bring with them backgrounds full of culture and experience that teachers need to acknowledge. Our students may experience gangs, family loss, absent fathers, love, hope, and a yearning for respect; all happening while sitting in our classrooms.
Students in our classes come from a variety of backgrounds. As teachers we need to recognize this diversity and celebrate it. By reading diverse literature in our classrooms we can create a setting where all cultures and families are accepted. Saldaña says it best by stating, “ignorance begets ignorance” (p.iii). We need to break from the status quo and let children experience the true happiness that reading can bring.
References
Saldaña, Jr. R. [Author] & Garza-Johnson, E. (Ed.) (2013). Juventud! Growing up on the Border: Stories and Poems Rio Grande Valley, TX: VAO Publishing.
Journey through Worlds of Words during our open reading hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. To view our complete offerings of WOW Currents, please visit archival stream.
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