Exploring Spanish Literature

Continuing on from my most recent post, I decided to read "Yes! We are Latinos" by Alma Flor Ada to get a sense of the types of books and themes she most often uses. Last week, I decided to sit and read the book, enjoying the nostalgia it evoked. In this post, I will examine the themes, messages, and literary details that Ada seeks to convey to her young readers. First, the young protagonist, being Cuban while living in Florida, is a strategic move by Ada. Miami, especially, is a city filled with Cuban immigrants due to its proximity to Cuba. This helps young students gain some awareness of the geography between Latin America and the U.S. (there is even a map on the first page and a sentence about José Miguel's ethnicity). The story's premise is that José Miguel is bullied at school for his name. The saying "no way José" is something other students find humorous, and a taco shop recently opened down the road called "Miguel's tacos." Students ar...

 My childhood was filled with children's books written in Spanish. My dad would read books over and over again to both help me learn Spanish and also help me fall asleep at night.  Today, these memories re-entered my mind and filled me with nostalgia, so I though I would research an author known for her children's books.  Alma Flor Ada is a Cuban-American author known for her poetry, novels, and stories made for the eyes of younger children. She was born in 1938 in Camagüey, Cuba, and grew up exposed to stories and poetry that developed her passion for writing and teaching.  She was educated in Spain and Peru, earned a Ph.D., and completed postdoctoral studies at Harvard University before becoming a professor of education at the University of San Francisco. Ada devoted her life to bringing education, pride, and empowerment to Latino/Hispanic children through ensuring that their voices and lives are reflected in the books they read.  She has written numerous awar...