| The Bridge To The Classics: Latino/a Literature
in The English Classroom
by Manuel Hernández
The largest bridge near my hometown, Sleepy Hollow, New York
is the legendary Tappan Zee Bridge. It is one of the most
exhilarating drives across New Yorks Hudson River. Latino
Literature represents that exhilarating connection to the
teaching, appreciation and literary analysis of American and
British classics. The link of one to the other not only makes
sense but also provides the needed context and helps students
(especially Latinos) to make a personal connection to the
text before driving across the more formal academic literary
highway.
Carlsen and Sherill (1988) have collected reading autobiographies
from teachers and have shared excerpts in a book titled, Voices
of Readers, an interesting collection of testimonies about
reading habits. Generally, most respondents stated their love
for reading occurred in spite of what was done in schools.
Some developed their appreciation of literature in school,
but it usually did not occur until very late in high school
or even in college. It seems that schools have accomplished
just the opposite of what they intend to do: they have turned
students off from reading.
Rosenblatts perspective on the links between the reader and
the text opens a window of opportunities to participate in
an active process whereby the reader accepts responsibility
for his/her literary experience. Instead of a process where
professors control and limit writing aims and objectives,
students contribute to the writing experience by providing
personal reactions and insight. Latino/a literature exposes
students to issues such as language, education, family, values,
sex, self-esteem, self-acceptance, conflicts in identity,
varied approaches to race, domestic violence and the preservation
of culture and art which provoke students to make their own
reactions and responses to literature. Latino/a literature
in the English classroom is an alternative to the teaching
of literature and a tool that will prepare students for reading
and writing in high school and beyond. It is the steering
wheel to motivation and reading comprehension.
In the English classroom, students feel a lack of personal
involvement, especially with isolated writing assignments.
Latino/a Literature is filled with every day common events,
characters and situations and establishes the bridge between
reading and writing which connects students to ideas and themes.
It is like seeing themselves in a mirror and assessing what,
where, how and why they are who they are while developing
reading and writing skills necessary to enter and succeed
in college. How can students interact with their writing when
their choices of literature are far away from their every
day reality?
Our teens today are open to options. It is our responsibility
as teachers, administrators, parents and educational advocates
to provide them with the keys to their educational experience.
The hardest experience of one of our most celebrated and recognized
American Presidents, Abraham Lincoln, was not becoming President
but making the one-hundred mile journey with his family from
Knob Creek to Little Pigeon Creek. I strongly believe that
our journey will never be as hard as Lincolns but more exhilariting
like the drive across the Tappan Zee Bridge
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Manuel Hernandez, a contributing columnist to HispanicVista.com
(www.hispanicvista.com), lives in Puerto Rico where he teaches school. He has
a B.A. and MA Teaching English. He is candidate for a PhD. He has just published
a textbook titled, Latino/a Literature in The English Classroom (Editorial Plaza
Mayor, 2003). For more information, e-mail him at mannyh32@puertoricans.com For
school orders, go to www.editorialplazamayor.com for more information or call
787-764-0455 For a complete bibliography: email me at mannyh32@puertoricans.com
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