DOCUMENT RESUME ED 103 320 SO 008 180 AUTHOR Hyland, Anne TITLE The Mexican American in Library Materials. INSTITUTION Toledo Public Schools, Ohio. Mexican American Curriculum Office. PUB DATE Jun 74 NOTE 97p. EDRS PRICE MF-$0.76 HC-$4.43 PLUS POSTAGE DESCRIPTORS *Annotated Bibliographies; Bibliographies; *Cultural Awareness; Educational Resources; Elementary Secondary Education; *Ethnic Studies; Library Guides; Library Materials; *Library Material Selection; Mexican American History; *Mexican Americans; Multimedia Instruction; Racial Discrimination; Racism; Social Studies ABSTRACT This resource guide provides the librarian with a selected bibliography of available materials which help todispel stereotyping and inaccuracy in Mexican American literature and social studies materials. According to the author, although bad minority literature and materials are abundant,. good materials are being produced. Teachers and librarians need to become amaze of the Mexican American materials which reflect the history, heritage, contributions, and pride of the Mexican American people. The first section deals with a statement of the current availability of good and bad resource materials on the Mexican American. The second section focuses on bibliographic listings of availablematerials for K-12 students, in both literature and social studies. Alist of descriptors used in the ERIC system and subject headings of bibliographic indexing are also included. Section 3discusses the cataloging problems related to Mexican American materials. An annotated list of 16mm films concludes the bibliographic sources.The lea.: two sections give suggestions for bulletin boarddisplays and arts and crafts. (Author/JR) t U S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. EDUCATION A WELFARE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO DUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGIN ATING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRE SENT OFFICIAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY I TABLE OF CONTENTS Background The Mexican American in Library Materials 1 This year, be a name dropper 9 Finding. the Resources Bibliographical searching for Mexican American Materials 10 a) Descriptors used in ERIC 13 b) Bibliographic index - subject hasings used 13 Places to write 14 Selected bibliography 17 English - Secondary 18 Social. Stud; 's - Secondary 23 Elementary 28 Focus on La Raza -- resources for children 35 Bibliography of children's books in Spanish from "SesameStteet" 42 Easy materials for the Spanish speaking 44 2ALILIging Cataloging probles relating to Mexican American materials '51 Motionlictures 16 mm films relating to Mexican Americans 55 Promotion Bulletin Board Techniques 70 Arts and Crafts Pinata, cup and ball, masks, Ojos de Dios, weave abelt, costume dolls, Mexican motifs, ,artifacts,decoration 79 Indian crafts and symbols 94 Mexican Christmas 96 Canciones de Navidad 97 00003 THE MEXICAN AMELICAN IN LIBRARYMATERIALS by Anne Hyland AVAILABLE 1637 COPY M.A.C.O. Resource Librarian "Today a new voice is being heard in America, a newforce is making itself felt.. After over a century of subjt6ationin an Anglo-Saxon dom- ioaied society, the country's sixmillion Mexican Americans are asserting fneir identity." A stereotype is a fixed image of a groupof people, based on generalized lovers." and nninform( impressions for example, "all Frenchmen are great Stereotypes can be positive. The visual images of"American","apple pie", and "mother" are positive. On the other hand,negative stereotyping turns people into comic orridiculous mockeries. Stereotypes become dangerous when theydepersonalize to such an extent that we assign specific .haracteristicsto specific ethnic groups. Americans with who are not white, Anglo-::axon, and protestantare constantly labeled derogatory terms. The terms "spic","wop","nigger", "kraut", "mick", "polak", "dago", and "greaser" are examples ofsuch terms. The frito bandito is an exampleof the stereotyping of the Mexicanand Mexican American in the form of acharacter who is comic to Anglos. He is depicted as a thief. He is recognized as a Mexicanbecause he wears a som- brero, has a big mustache and speakswith a pseudo-Mexican accent inEnglish. Many mental stereotypes have beensupported in materials that oftenfind the self image their way into libraries. These materials do more than damage and contain gross of Mexican Americans. Matertals which patronize, generalize, inaccuracies continue to support awhole series of undesirable imagesof Mexican literature can be found in all levels Americans. This kind of innappropriate and types Of print and non-printmaterials. 00004 COPYAVAILABLE BEST - 2 - The title of the hook, "ThatBad Carlos", for 4th to bthgraders, hook, the image is unfortunate, and for anyonewho doesn't read the entire ot a had, Spanish-speakingboy may he reinforced. "Angelo the Naughty One", for primarygrade children, continues to . and why is [,petuate the big sombreioimage of the Mexican people . because he refuses ro take abath. This entire story i..,!,eto naughty? . 's built around the stereotypeof dirLy. Mexicans. "A Hero by_Mistake", for 4th to6.h graders, perpetuates stereotypes. could Ewen the title reflects the stereotypeof a stupid, cowardly man who only become a hero by making amistake. This is inappropriate material. look to the It is too easy for the reader togeneralize the events and not histlrical background of a peoplewho descended fromsuch great heroes as NOT heroes by Cuauhtamoc, Juarez, Hidalgo,Zapata, and Zaragoza who were mistake. Many writers mean well whenthey write books about Mexicoand Mexican of the facts an 1,unfortunately, .14seticans. However, they simply are not aware patronizing present a one-sided viewof life. These materials commonly hm,e. a Lone, generalize events,and contain inaccuracies. and People of Mexico" The only p.ctures presentedin the book, "The Land Although certainly there are for 4th - 8th graders, areof peasant people. peasant people in Mexico, asthere arc all over theworld, the illustrations do not show the reader acomplete or accurate view oflife. The final sentence in the honkis extremely patronizing: "No matter how its native industrialized and modern Mexicobecomes, it will always maintain Alurn, its music, gay tiest_as,and flowers." It w,lId he more accurate to underscore progress, change,industry, and a concerned people. 00005 BEST COPY AVAILABLE 3 "Our National Heritage" is supposed to be an accountof immigrant c:mtributions to American society. It is intended for 4th to 8th grade readc,rs, Its discussion of "Espanoles andHispanos" is couched primarily in racist terms which pictures thetlispanos as "hordes" of "colorful people" who "break out readily into song," arefor the most part poor migrant workers Rave come illegally acrGss thiborder, but who are "endowed with an innate courtesy" and possess a "leisurelygait." The stereotypes of singing, happy, lazy, law breaking, colorful peasants aretotally reinforced. "America", a book for 4th to oth graders, on thesettling of the United States, does not mention the fact that in 1610, afull eleven years before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, what is nowSante Fe, New Mexico was a setLled, thriving community with a church, an organinside, and a system of irrigation. Because of the recent increase and interestin the Mexican American in Ame. ican society, many publishers havejumped on the economic band wagon and published a great quantity of materials to meetthe demand. This surge of materials can be seen primarily in the. areasof juvenile fiction and spills over into geographical typematerials. Authors and publishers have no real knowledge or awarenessof Mexican American problems and simply givetheirmain character a Spanish surname. The problems presented could happen to anyone. They arc not problems that are ,Ioique to Mexican Americans and do not represent aplausahle Mexican American experience. "Across the Tracks", for high school students, is anexcellent Not v example. The main character could have been from anyethnic group. single line in the story would have beenchanged except the girls' last name. 00006 1/4; OUSE 4 IliftCM There are many other materials that are aresult of the.publishing surge. Books originally written in Englishwith illustrations for theAnglo reader suitable for a are simply translatedinto Spanish. While these materials are Spanish language collection, they are notto be interpreted asMexican American materials. what I call "white: A very dangerous by-productof the pubti:lhing effort is Americans, the central character bdvAor" types. In these materials about Mexican without substantial is not able to succeed or overcomethe problem of the story deal with a help from an Anglo in the story. These works of fiction usually adult Anglo to "helpout" Mexican American child. This makes it easier for the and so assure the story ahappy ending. "Viva Chicano", for junior and seniorhigh students, is a goodexample of the barrio, he this type. Each time the main character4.s in the boundaries of travels to the Anglo is beset with trouble andfrustration, and each time he the author world his life is clear andordered. Probably quite unintentionally heritage and culture implies that for the Chicano tosucceed he must abdicate his and take up Anglo ways. "IlyName is Pablo", for 4th to 6thgraders, is another example of"white in the story, Pablo'sfamily is savior" fiction. For some reason not explained the Anblos in the not a real part of hislife style. In instance after instance, It seems