HispanicVista: The Literature of the Latino/a Experience and its Relevance in the English Classroom

“The literature of the Latino/a experience in the United States of America closes the gap on education in the United States. Voices of concerns have been depicted in newspapers, websites and statistics across America. On November 30, 2003, Fox television featured a segment on its series on education to vividly document stories of children with problems with standardized testing. Even the United States Department of Education has opened an Office (White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans) that is designing, coordinating and finding ways to improve the educational excellence of Latino children. The American educational system is looking for answers and embarking on a journey of redefining its solutions. An alternative to the teaching of literature is the integration of the literature of the Latino/a experience in the English curriculum.

According to the 2000 United States Census statistics, there are 35.8 million people of Latino origin living in the United States mainland. The ones that migrated to the United States before, during and immediately after World War II, and those who were born and grew up in the United States have come out of the melting pot and have become a vital force developing a voice in American letters today. Latino/a authors have developed a literary voice of their own and are being anthologized by mainstream publishing houses like never before. Piri Thomas, Esmeralda Santiago, Julia Alvarez, Sandra Cisneros, Tato Laviera and Abraham Rodriguez have become household contemporary names that are not only being published and read in American schools but have broken paradigms by interacting and sharing, reading and positively influencing young adult audiences in schools and colleges in the United States.”

Stumble it! | |