{"id":5093985,"date":"2024-09-16T12:12:10","date_gmt":"2024-09-16T16:12:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ctlatinonews.com\/?p=5093985"},"modified":"2024-09-16T12:12:10","modified_gmt":"2024-09-16T16:12:10","slug":"childrens-author-cindy-l-rodriguez-on-multidimensional-latinx-representation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/ctln\/2024\/09\/16\/childrens-author-cindy-l-rodriguez-on-multidimensional-latinx-representation\/","title":{"rendered":"Children\u2019s Author Cindy L. Rodriguez On Multidimensional Latinx Representation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As her world swirls with life-changing events, Lola Reyes discovers her deceased father\u2019s box of worry dolls while visiting her family in Guatemala. A note cautions her of a curse but, unlike her relatives, Lola isn\u2019t superstitious. With a laugh, she defies the warning\u2014awakening a sacred myth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plainville-based Author Cindy L. Rodriguez explores themes of cultural identity, changing family and friendship dynamics, and coping with big emotions, in her writing. Released on September 17, \u201cLola Reyes Is So Not Worried<\/a>\u201d dives into the Latinx American experience, the power of friendship, and the importance of validating young people\u2019s concerns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c[Lola] and her friends are all dealing with real worries,\u201d said Rodriguez. As Lola feels the absence of her father and the shifting of friendships, one of her friends deals with the pressure to be an elite athlete, while another friend experiences food insecurity. \u201cFor all of them\u2026they have to accept that your worries, whether small or large, are valid.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With humor and excitement, Rodriguez explores the role that culture and relationships can play in our emotional well-being, no matter our age. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn the surface, it\u2019s a fun story, very fast-paced\u2026but underneath is a very serious story about young people having big worries,\u201d she said. \u201cThey need to be validated by their adults and they need to be talked about or else they just grow bigger and bigger like the dolls do in the story.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This coming-of-age story also highlights how meaningful folklore and spirituality are in certain cultures to this day. As a scientific-minded individual, Lola doesn\u2019t believe in folklore or anything paranormal. When she discovers these worry dolls in her father\u2019s things, she doesn\u2019t take them seriously and ignores the clear warning of a curse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In every Latinx culture, there are people who fully believe in certain spiritual or paranormal ideas and there are others who view it less seriously but have accepted and respected these ideas as a part of their culture, shared Rodriguez. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLola has to come to that middle ground where it\u2019s like, okay, she\u2019s not going to become a full-on spiritualist\u2026but she has to at least respect [those ideas] when grandma talks about it, or mommy talks about it,\u201d said Rodriguez. \u201cShe eventually comes to believe that she has to at least respect the history, respect that these folklores and legends influence the culture\u2026So, she becomes more connected to her Guatemalan community in that way, as opposed to just brushing it off.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rodriguez\u2019s writing showcases Latinx American experiences and looks to accurately reflect those realities; how differences in cultures and generations can cause tension, challenge individuals, and lead to personal growth and stronger relationships. She emphasizes the need for open discussions to embrace different views and experiences than our own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At times, guardians and older relatives grew up with different social pressures or expectations than what young people face now, explained Rodriguez. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat can become a real moment of conflict within the house: trying to be who you are as an American Latinx versus honoring their expectations and their values of being from another country,\u201d she said. \u201cI think there’s always that push and pull\u2014especially if you grow up in the U.S.\u2014of wanting to keep your roots and\u2026connections, but also, you do have this other experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2023, about seven percent of children\u2019s books received by the Cooperative Children\u2019s Book Center (CCBC) were about Latinx communities and 11% had at least one Latinx creator, according to data collected by CCBC at the University of Wisconsin-Madison<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I was much younger, [in] many of the books I read almost all of the Latinx representation was inner city, people were poor and struggling\u2014and that obviously still exists\u2014but I also want to be able to sort of broaden people\u2019s view of like, we\u2019re not a monoculture,\u201d said Rodriguez. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, Rodriguez\u2019s first-ever picture book, \u201cThree Pockets Full: A Story of Love, Family, and Tradition\u201d, was selected to represent Connecticut\u2019s literary heritage at the 2024 National Book Festival in Washington, D.C., which saw about 150,000 attendees. The story centers around Beto, whose mother is remarrying and wishes for him to wear a Guayabera<\/em>\u2014a traditional and formal shirt often worn in Latin America\u2014to the wedding. However, Beto protests against attending the wedding and wearing the shirt, which represents his heritage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rodriguez said she has been surprised and humbled by the positive public recognition that the children\u2019s book has continued to receive since its publication in 2022. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe goal with the book was twofold: to have Latinx audiences see that representation but also, beyond that, a story just about family\u2026there are many children who live in households that have different dynamics,\u201d said Rodriguez. \u201cThat kind of transcends the idea that a book that centers Latinx culture, can\u2019t appeal to a broader audience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The book looks to inspire conversations about how children can balance different cultures they are exposed to, learn to express themselves, and think outside of themselves to accept positive changes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen kids at that age have these big emotions, sometimes they don’t really quite know what to do with it. So, that\u2019s when [Beto] starts putting the shirt on the dog\u2026and writing notes instead of actually talking,\u201d said Rodriguez. \u201cI\u2019ve had teachers say, \u2018What else could Beto have done in this moment? And they start to think, \u2018Okay, if I\u2019m ever in this moment where I\u2019m feeling uncomfortable or I disagree with my mom or dad,\u2019\u2014they use it for problem-solving.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the beginning of the book, there are discussion questions to help children make connections to the story \u201cin a way that basically says \u2018You don\u2019t have to be Latinx in order to understand or to connect to this particular story.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rodriguez said it was also important to her that the story was equally accessible to both English and Spanish speakers. The book is available in both languages, while the English version includes a few common words in Spanish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecause it does center Latinx culture, it\u2019s just realistic that even if you\u2019re not fluent in Spanish you use some words here and there all the time,\u201d shared Rodriguez. \u201cSo, it was important for me to have some Spanish in the book but I also wanted to put it in a context that students would be able to get it and not feel pulled out of the story.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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