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Latinos, Spanish Speakers, and Books:
The Barahona Center for the Study of Books in Spanish for Children and Adolescents
By Isabel Schon
Director,
Barahona Center for the Study of Books in Spanish for Children and Adolescents,
California State University San Marcos
If we truly wish to encourage Spanish-speaking and Latino children and adolescents into the world of books and reading, we must offer them books that they can read and understand. This is especially true today when, according to 2005 U.S. census figures, one of every five children under age 18 in the United States is Hispanic and, although Latinos have been the fastest-growing minority group in the school-age population over the last several decades, Latino children still represent the least educated group. Even more sobering are the depressingly low—57 per cent—graduation rates for Latinos. Added to this urgency is the fact that most dropouts are poor readers, as are those who end up in the nation's juvenile justice system—an incredibly high 82 per cent of prison inmates are school dropouts.
When I arrived in the United States from my native Mexico City as a single mother with my then nine-year-old daughter, I personally experienced the need for literature that considers the needs of Spanish-speaking young readers. Like other Latino parents, I searched for literature that takes into account their environment, interests and feelings, and the great cultural background that is legitimately theirs. I realized then the need for an academic center whose purpose would be to promote literacy in English and Spanish.
Established in 1989, the Barahona Center for the Study of Books in Spanish for Children and Adolescents, located at California State University San Marcos, is the result of my lifelong personal and professional dreams. Through its collection, activities, and services, the Barahona Center endeavors to inform current and future educational decision-makers about books centered around Latino people and culture, and about books in Spanish and their value in the education of English-speaking and Spanish-speaking children and adolescents.
The main purposes of the center are to serve as a resource center for books in Spanish and books in English about Hispanics/Latinos for children and adolescents, along with assisting librarians, teachers, parents, and other adults in the selection, acquisition, and use of books in Spanish for children and adolescents. To be able to achieve its objectives, the center attempts to collect all books in Spanish for children and adolescents published worldwide since 1989. The center's holdings also include classics for children and adolescents and older books in Spanish of outstanding merit or popularity; reference materials; easy books; fiction; nonfiction; bilingual (Spanish/English); and Spanish translations of books from other languages. In addition, the center seeks to include all books in English about Hispanic/Latino people and cultures for children and adolescents published in the United States. This collection contains books about the people, history, geography, art, political, social, and economic problems of the countries in Latin America, Spain, and of people of Hispanic/Latino heritage in the United States.
Fortunately, the Web has helped us achieve more of our goals. Teachers, librarians, parents, publishers, and other adults regularly consult the Barahona Center's website to answer numerous requests for high-quality books for Spanish-speaking and Latino children and adolescents. Under "Recommended Books," users query access our searchable database of commendable books in Spanish for children and adolescents published around the world. More than 12,000 in-print books that deserve to be read by Spanish-speaking children and adolescents (or those who wish to learn Spanish) are in the database. These books have been selected because of their quality of art and writing, presentation of material, and appeal to the intended audience. To provide equal access to the Spanish-speaking world, bibliographic information, grade level, subject headings, and a brief description of each book are available in both English and Spanish. Weekly updates of recent titles are also provided.
In addition, users can query access our database of more than 1,000 recommended books in English about Hispanic/Latino people and cultures for children and adolescents.
This website also provides information about the center's three-day workshops on current issues and special activities, along with offering links to its sponsors' homepages.
As we strive to fulfill the reading needs of Spanish speakers worldwide, there are still numerous issues that need to be resolved. Although the increase in the quantity and quality of books for Latinos is a reason to celebrate, many U.S. publishers still offer inept, graceless Spanish renditions that abound in vague, unintelligible sentences and phrases, alien constructions, typographical errors, and literal interpretations that do not make any sense. Significantly, and despite the consternation of researchers and bilingual teachers, the publishing industry continues to overwhelm the market with bilingual (English/Spanish) books. Notwithstanding their tremendous popularity in the United States, bilingual books are sources of confusion, especially to young readers. Some adults mistakenly believe that bilingual books can teach young readers a second language. The problem is that the vast majority of children are still learning to read in their first language when they are exposed to a second language they can barely understand. And, although some children can handle two languages simultaneously, most bilingual teachers and researchers agree that children need to learn to read and master their first language before they are exposed to a second language that may utterly confuse them.
To be sure, many librarians and teachers are eager to satisfy the high demand for bilingual books. I, too, constantly receive requests from well-meaning parents who want their children to "grow up bilingual" and from well-intentioned teachers who want to assist English or Spanish learners. The by-product of the ever-increasing globalization of the Spanish language is this plethora of bilingual books. Not surprisingly, however, readers intuitively reject these inept, graceless Spanish renditions that lack the spirit, rhythm, and symmetry of the Spanish language.
Furthermore, an important question remains: How do we motivate reluctant and struggling Spanish-speaking and Latino children and adolescents to become readers? There is certainly not an easy answer. We must provide them with easy access to a wide selection of interesting, high-quality books—both in English and Spanish. We must present them choices about what to read. And, we know we must offer them opportunities to read and to discuss reading with others. Just as powerful, as many of us can testify, one of the foremost reasons most of us love to read—whether for enjoyment, education, or information—is because an attentive adult invited us to experience that special joy. Because life has no simple solutions and because there are no magic formulas, we can only presume that exposing children and teens to an array of beautifully written books with artfully chosen words in a fresh, natural style will result in thoughtful readers, critical thinkers, and discerning human beings. •
Dr. Isabel Schon was born in Mexico City. She came to the United States in 1972, where she obtained a Doctor of Philosophy degree at the University of Colorado in 1974. Dr. Schon has been a consultant on books in Spanish for young readers and bilingual/bicultural educational materials to schools, libraries, and ministries of education in Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala, Argentina, Venezuela, Chile, Spain, Italy, Ecuador, and the United States. Currently, she is director of the Barahona Center for the Study of Books in Spanish for Children and Adolescents and founding faculty at California State University, San Marcos.
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About the author:
Dr. Isabel Schon was born in Mexico City. She came to the United States in 1972, where she obtained a Doctor of Philosophy degree at the University of Colorado in 1974. Dr. Schon has been a consultant on books in Spanish for young readers and bilingual/bicultural educational materials to schools, libraries, and ministries of education in Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala, Argentina, Venezuela, Chile, Spain, Italy, Ecuador, and the United States. Currently, she is director of the Barahona Center for the Study of Books in Spanish for Children and Adolescents and founding faculty at California State University, San Marcos.
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