The following post was written by 起点传媒member and College Section Chair聽.
In the United States, from September 15 through October 15, we observe National Hispanic Heritage Month. This period marks the celebration of diverse cultures, histories, and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from various lands with changing frontiers and borderlands across time and space: Spain, M茅xico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.
Our English language arts classrooms are filled with opportunities to advance the contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans from the literary, performance, and visual arts to scientific research. The continental Am茅ricas, as a hemispheric whole, is rich with generations of heritages interconnected with Latino life and thought.
One recent achievement and influence connected to the power of world languages and poetry is , an accomplished poet and . Author of 28 books ranging from poetry to novels and children鈥檚 collections, Herrera recently published a book titled , which showcases the lives of inspirational Latino and Latina Americans.
In June 2015, Herrera was named the in Poetry at the Library of Congress for 2015鈥�2016.
A few days ago, on September 16, Herrera presented his at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. 鈥淲hen we say poetry, it鈥檚 really the vision of all voices,鈥� Herrera explained. 鈥淚t鈥檚 freedom. . . . When you use your own voice, freely, then we鈥檙e all united.鈥�
Herrera鈥檚 new poem titled 鈥淚magine What You Could Do鈥� and the from the event capture his earliest memories of speaking Spanish and struggling to learn and speak English while a student in elementary school. The poem vibrates with energy, resilience, and the vision to become a US poet laureate. The final reads:
If I stood up
wearing a robe
in front of my familia and many more
on the high steps
of the Library of Congress
in Washington, D.C., and read
out loud and signed
my poetry book
like this鈥�
鈥榩oet laureate of the United States of
础尘别谤颈肠补鈥�
Imagine what you could do.
As teachers, we can understand these feelings within our students, within ourselves, and given voice in poetry. We can encourage our students and colleagues to reach their highest potential, too.
Herrera鈥檚 third-grade teacher, Leyla Sampson, encouraged the young Herrera as an emerging reader, singer, and writer in her classroom in the 1950s. Early on, Herrera exhibited a fondness for words and languages. He recalls singing 鈥淭hree Blind Mice鈥� as Ms. Sampson listened intently. Her assessment confirmed his resilience: 鈥淵ou have a beautiful voice.鈥� (Here, assessment is used in the sense of the Latin word assidere, which means 鈥渢o sit beside.鈥�)
On Herrera鈥檚 inaugural reading night, guess who sat in the audience? ! Indeed, the attentive listener, sitting patiently before her student again, was Leyla Sampson, who is now ninety-four years old.
Herrera, who is sixty-six years old, shared with Ms. Sampson and his audience, 鈥淚t was your words that made it all happen for me.鈥�
Today, the poetry reading and writing public is invited to submit an original poem to Herrera鈥檚 project named . The selected submissions will form a giant epic poem that will span Herrera鈥檚 laureateship.
In a , Herrera explains, 鈥� is a house for all voices. In this house we will feed the hearth and heart of our communities with creativity and imagination. And we will stand together in times of struggle and joy.鈥�
You, your students, and colleagues are to participate through 2016. During Hispanic Heritage Month (through October 15), the theme is 鈥淔amily Words and Story Poems.鈥� The theme will vary in the months to come during Herrera鈥檚 tenure. your poem to contribute to the epic poem.
In keeping with this month鈥檚 La Casa de Colores theme about family and language, 起点传媒members are pioneers and advocates in literacy education for children, families, and teachers. Various position statements advanced by 起点传媒members support public education, family literacies for all, secondary school completion, migrant and immigrant schoolchildren and their families, and diverse books for all readers:
- (Children鈥檚 Day/Book Day) (2005)
- (2006)
- (2015)
- (2015)
The La Casa de Colores project and Herrera鈥檚 poetry confirm that we are all interconnected across human cultures, heritages, and languages. As literacy teachers and thinkers, we can invite our students and colleagues to the table of poetry and enrich our lives across hemispheres, borderlands, and oceans as we make meaning together.
Resources on Hispanic Heritage
Various institutions are interconnected to advance Hispanic-origin contributions in the United States. The following resources are recommended to enrich our teaching and learning:
R. Joseph Rodr铆guez teaches in the Department of English at the University of Texas at El Paso. Catch him virtually on Twitter @escribescribe, or send him a message at rjrodriguez6@utep.edu.