Raising Latinas Poderosas: Books I read to my daughter (part 1)
Raising a daughter who is proud of her Latinidad and her womanhood; who is grounded in her multicultural roots and understands her superpower is in being exactly who she is, that is the work I take most seriously. It also can be challenging and requires intention.
To me, this work is about more than just preserving our culture, heritage, and language. It is about passing down her inheritance of being valiente, fuerte, and poderosa, especially in a world that will try to make her feel smaller, less than, incapable, or marginalized. It’s about empowering her now so that when she steps into the world and faces it, she is unwavering in her belief about who she is and what she can accomplish, and no one’s words or attempts to hold her down will ever succeed.
Why does it matter?
First, we know that words and ideas, both positive and harmful are incredibly powerful. In fact, this phenomenon is called “stereotype threat” and it occurs when people, particular those who have one or more marginalized identities, are reminded of a negative stereotype about those identities and immediately after that reminder, perform much worse on tasks or tests that they otherwise would perform well on. In other words, when we’re reminded about society’s negative stereotypes about Latinos, women, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ folks, or folks with disabilities, the impact is so powerful that it causes us to fall short of what we are actually capable of.
Individuals and society wield harmful ideas and words against marginalized people and whether it’s intentional or not, the impact matters: our confidence is eroded. Now, imagine raising a Latina, a young girl, in a world that is filled with messages of hate. I can’t protect my daughter from ever encountering these messages in the world, but I can do everything I can to flood her world at home and in her community with messages of strength, cultural pride, love, and joy.
“Mija: you are what you believe about yourself. So believe you are capable, worthy, and confident.”
1 . Be Bold! Be Brave! Chiquitos by Naibe Reynoso & Jone Leal
Inspiring Latinas Board Book (Con Todo Press)
2 . More Than a Crown by Roberto Concepcion Jr
An empowering story that reminds young girls to use their voice, follow their dreams, and change the world.
3 . That's Not My Name! by Anoosha Syed
A beautiful book about loving your name, finding your voice, and standing up for yourself.
Note to reader: I may have passed down the trauma of having a name that is easily mispronounced and not common enough to find on a keychain. I’m hoping this book will help her see just how special her name is.
