From: Franciso Alarcon <fjalarcon>
Date: Thu, 9 Mar 2000 13:02:46 -0800 (PST)

Dear Ginny Moore Kruse,

Thank you for the very insightful information you shared with us regarding the total number of books by Latino writers and artists and about Latino themes and topics published since 1994. I would like to know more about the nature and the type of books CCBC counted to arrive at those figures. How do these figures compare with the number of titles considered for other awards like the Coretta King Awards for outstanding African American authors and illustrators?

I appreciate your concern about the decrease in the total number of these books about Latinos during the past three years. I am really astonished to find out that the number of books for children with Latino themes instead of increasing is actually decreasing at a time when there is a tremendous demographic expansion of the Latino population of school age throughout the United States and a growing awareness of Latino culture in U.S. society over all.

The impact of Latino music and Latino performers at the last Grammy Awards ceremony is a very telling example of what is happening in American culture: the vibrant Latino culture is finding ways to leave its mark on the American fabric. There are 33 million Latinos in the country--9 million just in the state of California where I live. Latino children and youth constitute the largest segment of this population, and they are really the future of this nation.

You would expect that publishers, authors, artists, teachers, librarians, and book distributors would see the light regarding the need for a lot more books exploring this Latino reality. To know that there were only 26 titles in 1999 written or illustrated by Latino authors and artists is still a bit shocking to me. This fact only reinforces my commitment to continue doing children's books with Latino themes and to encourage colleagues of mine and other possible authors to get involved.

My name is Francisco X. Alarc?n, I am a Chicano poet and educator, and the author of the book of bilingual poems for children that was awarded one of the 2000 Pura Bepr? Honor Awards, "From the Bellybutton and the Moon and other Summer Poems/Del ombligo de la luna y otros poemas de primavera." My first book of bilingual poems for children, "Laughing Tomatoes and Other Spring Poems/Jitomates risue?os y otros poemas de primavera" also received one of the 1998 Pura Bepr? Honor Awards.

I am very happy that this year Pura Bepr? Award for illustration was given to a artist for whom I have great admiration and respect, Carmen Lomas Garza for her "Magic Windows: Cut-Paper Art and Stories" that was edited by David Schecter, and by the way, was also translated into Spanish by me.

I teach at the University of California, Davis, where I serve as Director of the Spanish for Native Speakers Program. Doing books for children as well as working with children, teachers, and librarians through the outreach program (LitLinks) of the not-for-profit publisher, Children's Book Press of San Francisco, has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have had in my entire life.

I really hope the day would come soon when the Pura Bepr? Awards would be given annually with more than a hundred titles being considered. I really liked the questions Ginny Moore Kruse possed at the end of her recent message. I have followed with great interest the discussions in this list-service for more than a year. I think it will be great to take some time to explore how to meet this challenge presented by Latinos in the United Sates. I am more than willing to respond to any questions you may have regarding my work or any topic.

Francisco X. Alarc?n (fjalarcon at ucdavis.edu) Department of Spanish University of California Davis, CA 95616

r...

Francisco Alarcon Spanish for Native Speakers Program Department of Spanish UC Davis Davis, CA 95616
(530) 75222 FAX (530) 752!84
Received on Thu 09 Mar 2000 03:02:46 PM CST