Real Identities and Diversity in Children’s Picture Books

On September 19, 2018, Camila Rae Castillo-Smith was born, and all of the sudden, I’m searching for picture books that tell her the story of both her Black and Mexican heritage. All of the sudden, I’m grappling with how to discuss blended heritage and culture with my first grandchild. I thought because my husband is mixed race and because my beautiful daughter is mixed race that I knew exactly how to handle this situation. But when Rocío, Camila’s mother, said that she was struggling to find books with characters that Camila could identify with, I realized this may be more difficult than I thought. The issue is complicated not only by a number of historically political notions about race, but also by the many ways that we identify ourselves, which means I have to ask some not so obvious questions.

Am I Black or African American? Is Mexican the same as Latinx? How Camila constructs her identity will have a lot to do with how we, her mother, father, and their families, define ourselves. In Roberto Carlos Garcia’s article on The Root, “So You’re Afro-Latinx. Now What?,” He notes, “America thrusts black or white upon you quickly, and you have to decide, you have to know who and what you are” (Garcia). This knowing, though, takes time as Camila comes to this realization with a barrage of influences. As she comes of age, she will work through how her family identifies themselves and hopefully discover for herself where she fits. The books that we read to her in the early stages of this development will strengthen her foundation. So, my search for picture books about children who are both Mexican and Black continues.

While there are a number of books about mixed race characters, so many of them seem to focus on children whose race is mixed with white. There are very few stories about children who celebrate their mixed minority races, and I have yet to find one about a child like Camila. My search, though not entirely in vain, reveals a collection of stories that some may say is too specific. But haven’t the books before the push for diversity also been too specific? Just as Camila will likely read books about children who are not like her, the children who are not like her should also read books about children like Camila. This helps to encourage empathy and compassion for people who are not like us.

It is the desire to see one’s self represented that leads to diverse books. “‘Diversity’ should just be called ‘reality.’ Your books, your articles, your curricula need to reflect reality” (Due). So maybe we, Camila’s family, should write the story that we’d like to tell her, children like her, and the children who want to get to know her. Children are very different, and we should be okay with acknowledging that.

I’m extremely proud that Rocío immediately saw the importance of Camila knowing who she is early on. And while I took this for granted when I was her age, I’m open to learning as my family grows.

Click here for a list of children’s picture books that celebrate diverse, real identities.

(KT)