FORGOTTEN FACES: EXAMINING THE REPRESENTATIONS OF LATINO SUBCULTURES IN AMÉRICAS AND PURA BELPRÉ PICTUREBOOKS

Abstract

Latinos are the largest and fastest growing ethnic minority in the United States with millions of Latino children enrolled in US early-childhood programs. These children represent a heterogeneous group of people celebrating diverse cultures. The children's literature written about them, however, does not. Research indicates that it is important for Latino children as well as non-Latino children and educators to encounter accurate and positive representations of the Latino people in children's literature. This promotes positive ethnic identity development in Latino children while helping non-Latino children and educators develop an appreciation and understanding of the diverse Latino culture. The Américas and Pura Belpré awards are presented to children's books that exemplify literary quality and authentic portrayal of the Latino culture. Latino and non-Latino children and educators frequently encounter the messages within these award-winning picturebooks. Using content (visual and textual) and semiotic analyses, this study critically examined the representation of diverse Latino cultures in a sample of these award-winning picturebooks. The study concluded that picturebooks winning the Américas and Pura Belpré awards do not represent the complete social and cultural mosaic of the Latino people, with deficiencies in representation of cultural diversity, socioeconomic status, gender roles, sexual orientations, and physical/mental abilities.