Little Girl's Books
Title
Subject
Children's writings—Peruvian
Picture books for children
Description
This collection of artwork and booklets comes from a 5-year-old Latina child named Cayana. The items range from booklets to simple flags. She completed some of the items when she was 4. In total, there are 15 items of original artwork. Of the booklets, there are various methods of binding of the spine.
“The Fun Boring Paw Patrol Umizoomi City” – green construction paper, yarn binding. Simple hand printed design.
“The Frog Goes to Santa’s Workshop” – Light pink top spine spiral bound notebook. Artwork of a penguin and a rainbow.
“Make Me Extra Happy – Rocks Books” – Light blue cardstock, unknown binding. Artwork of a cloud and a rainbow with glitter. Age 4 is denoted.
“Cayana Goes on an Adventure with Friends + Cousins” – Black construction paper, white crayon bound with metal right. Includes two stickers – a small red heart and one with the words ‘AMERICA…land that I love’.
“Ice Cream Rocks” – Handmade light blue notebook, red tape covered stapled spine. Image of a white cat wearing a red pointed hat, holding an ice cream cone with 5 different scoops of ice cream. Upon the top of the hat, on an added panel, there is an additional two scoops with a lit birthday candle balanced on top.
“Cayana Peanut” – pink construction paper cut into a wide/rough octogon. Dated ’18.
Contains 4 stickers. Three are stars, one says the words ‘Good for You!’
“All Pony at the Library” – Handmade on yellow paper. Binding is staples. Includes 4 ‘My Little Pony’ characters from Hasbro.
“The Book of Cayana” – Diagonal striped notebook with title written on it. The C of Cayana is made of craft foam.
The 7 flags are made of simple card stock of various colors. 6 have locations and the remainder says “Rocks From”. The locations are Connecticut, Washington D. C., Mexico, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Peru.
The historical value of this collection comes from two positions, the acculturation of Puerto Ricans to the mainland and the impact of libraries upon them. Puerto Ricans are American citizens, however they share the acculturation process with immigrants. Cayana is a valuable reference on the modern Americanization of first and second-generation children living in the American mainland culture. Children such as these are called pioneros by Puerto Ricans, descendants from the island but having very little in common culturally with those who are still there. The island of Puerto Rico has a long and rich history and heritage. Americanization, a modern offshoot of Anglicization, is the adaptation and adoption of American mainstream culture by immigrants. Even though we are a melting pot of culture, it is expected that many of the new customs and social proclivities are adopted. Cayana’s artwork displays Americanization throughout. Whether it be through the full adoption of English as opposed to Spanish, the American children’s cultural imagery such as My Little Pony, Paw Patrol, Umizoomi or the America…Land that I Love sticker. Cayana speaks fluent English.
After the American rule of Puerto Rico, the Jones Act of 1917 gave every citizen of the island United States citizenship. This allowed them migration to the mainland. In the mass influx afterwards, city centers such as Miami and New York became targeted destinations. During the following Great Depression, the need for bilingual library services in these urban locales grew. The New York Public Library System saw a need for Spanish/English services. They hired a Puerto Rican librarian named Pura Belpré. Dubbed, the folklore “Ambassador” from the Island to the American mainland, Belpré set the standard for libraries all over the country for cultural exploration and exhibition. Belpré was pivotal in working for children’s education through libraries, stressing bilingual teaching methods all while writing stories, poems and performances for them. In the 1960’s she became a trailblazer for children, being involved with displaying their art and creativity in libraries, often stressing their home culture. It is this year that Cayana’s art was as such displayed in the New Britain Public Library. Cayana was quite proud of her collection, and the fact that it was displayed in the library. It can be inferred that she found a sense of community and belonging there. Because it is an extension of the town, and thus the neighborhood, she is fully integrated into our society.
Ruth Glasser, Aquí Me Quedo: Puerto Ricans in Connecticut (Connecticut Humanities Council, 1997), page 129.
Paula A. Arriagada, “Family Context and Spanish-Language Use: A Study of Latino Children in the United States,” Social Science Quarterly Vol 86, 3 (September 2005), pp 599-619.
Lisa Sánchez González, “Pura Belpré: The Children’s Ambassador.” in Latina Legacies: Identity, Biography, and Community, Vicki L Ruiz and Virginia Sánchez Korrol eds. (Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2005), 148-157.
Creator
Source
Date
circa 2017
April 12, 2018
Contributor
Rights
Relation
Format
Language
Spanish