Maya and the Three:
"You come from heroes"
A Netflix series created by Jorge R. Gutiérrez, who you may know as the creator of the movie The Book of Life. Inspired by the Mayan, Aztec, Incan and Caribbean civilizations, Maya is a fun, family friendly adventure. What I especially love about the series is Señor Gutiérrez focus on increasing the positive representation of Latinos onscreen. He said, "When you don't see [Latino adventurers onscreen] growing up, you start to wonder, 'Am I not meant for greatness? I'm not meant to be a hero?' And I just hope that this is a reminder: Not only are you all heroes, but you come from heroes."
For more from the creator, click here.
For more information on incorporating the Maya or Aztec culture into classrooms, check out these resources.
Duncan Tonatiuh
This author-illustrator creates beautiful books using the art style of the ancient Maya. He covers topics such as immigration, Maya history, equity, folk lore and more. His books are a joy to own, just for the art! Add in the conversations you can have with your children and students, and you will want to buy all his books! Included often at the end are pronunciation guides, explanations of topics and traditions, and suggestions for further learning.
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Visit his website here.
Inside Out and Back Again
Written by Thanhha Lai
A story in verse, this book is an easy read as far as the words go, but it's deep in terms of its content. It chronicles the journey of a young girl, Hà, living in Saigon who leaves just before the city falls. She and her family seek asylum in the United States. You are likely to see yourself in a couple different characters. A good read for kids and adults.
Linda Letra
A wonderful resource for bilingual books. Something I love about this company is that they focus on the content as well as the language. These aren't just English books translated into Spanish, they actually deal with themes and cultures of Spanish speakers around the world!
Visit Linda Letra
Immersion
This 12 minute video shows the struggles of a recent immigrant, Moises, who is a brilliant mathematician. Unfortunately, he is in school in a time when bilingual education is discouraged, even outlawed. It also mentions the "bubble kids" as we call them, who often get the most attention and the pressures teachers and administrators face.
This video is a powerful reminder of why we need to prepare the best we can for our students.
Why should you study TESOL? Ask Moises.
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Land of the Cranes
Written by Aida Salazar
A beautiful novel, similar to Inside Out and Back Again. Written from the perspective of a young girl, Betita, who is living in the United States after seeking asylum with her parents. She includes testimonios, drawings the depict how she sees the world. Unexpectedly Betita and her mother find themselves in a detention center along the Southern border of the United States. Betita continues to write testimonios of her life there. This one has some more mature themes in it and maybe best for older audiences (middle school and above).
Try creating your own testimonio after reading the book!
Hexagramm Books
Another great resource for bilingual books! They have something for every age, for classroom teachers and for your home library. Spanish, English, bilingual and even French books! They also have webinars and classes to help you improve your skills as a dual immersion teacher. Visit HexagrammBooks.
Movies
Although movies often don't show the whole story, I have found some movies at least help me to get a different perspective. They also provide a good ground for discussion. At the link below I list movies, the main themes covered and, in some cases, some questions to discuss after watching. The list has movies for kids thru adults.
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National Treasure: Edge of History
Ok, some of you may be rolling your eyes, but I am a National Treasure fan! I waited expectantly each Wednesday for a new episode of the series to come out. I definitely enjoyed it, even though I did find it a bit simplistic at times. That being said, it is a great chance to gain some insight into undocumented children brought to the United States who have now grown up. As Jess says at one point, "I'm too Mexican for America, and too American for Mexico." This state of limbo is one that many DACA recipients find themselves in. This series is also a good chance to consider who the "good guys" and the "bad guys" really are. Things may not always be what they seem.
I hope you enjoy the puzzles and romance in the series but do take a second to think about challenges faced by often times highly educated DACA students. Maybe there is a way you can help in your own community.
Check it out on Disney+