Our Need to be Seen and Belong with Luz Maria Mack
Luz and I I discus how to highlight how parents and teachers can drive demand of culturally relevant book that serves their school communities.
Wine & Chisme · Jessica Yañez
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Show Notes
Wine: Llamas Family Wine Chardonnay
BIO:
When Luz's daughter started private school, my youngest realized she was different. She wanted to be like her friends, who had cute short blond hair and vanilla skin. One day she asked Luz if she could cut and dye her hair blonde and straighten her curls. She knew that she wanted her daughter to know how special is. The next day she shared my daughter's feelings with her teacher.
The teacher encouraged her to show her pictures of family members and important historical figures that look like us. Luz started a new bedtime routine which turned into storytelling, but more importantly, it became positive and powerful imagery of being seen and belonging. She showed her pictures of family members from great-grandmothers, aunts, uncles, and friends. To historical figures like the Mirabal Sisters, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, Ghandi including current figures: Barack and Michelle Obama, Oprah, Jennifer Lopez, and so on! She then shared stories of who she was as a little girl. Little did she know that her daughters experience speaks to many other children that look like her.
Children from different backgrounds and families work hard to help their children be seen and have a place to belong. I wanted to do something for my daughter to see herself, which led me to publish my first bilingual Children's book. It's essential to have diversity in children's books because children need and deserve to see themselves in stories. They should see colors, characters, and stories that speak to them!