#adeactivista

Chicana Artist Shares A New Type of Children’s Book

By Nancy Martinez, EGP Staff Writer

In a colorful room decorated with papel picado (Mexican cutouts) and skull piñatas, two-dozen or so toddlers sit in a circle around Martha Gonzalez as she reads her modern take on the ABCs.

Instead of apples, balls and cats “A de Activista” (A is for Activist) is filled with words like “artista” (artist), “barrio” (neighborhood) and “creativo” (creative).

“The problem in the publishing world is there are not enough books [that are] bilingual,” says Gonzalez.

For her first entry into Spanish language children’s literature, Gonzalez, a Chicana activist and founding member of the Grammy award-winning band Quetzal, has adapted “A is for Activist,” written and illustrated by Innosanto Nagara.

“Say ‘m,’” Gonzalez tells the kids during her book reading last Sunday. “Say ‘moviemiento,’” she encourages the giggling children to get them involved.

Gonzalez, a self-proclaimed “artivista” – combination of artist and activista (activist) – describes the book as a way to introduce children to college aged ideas such as democracy, equality, immigrant, justice and Zapatista.

“Every single one of these [pages] is about self identity and empowerment,” Gonzalez tells EGP.

“The general idea of the book is not just about informing them about the ABCs, it’s informing them early on about their rights,” Gonzalez explained.

Monica Perez, 37, attended the event Sunday at Espacio 1839 in Boyle Heights with her young daughter. She said she did so after realizing the word activist was a foreign concept to her.

“I can’t believe that I, who I consider a more conscientious person, hasn’t even brought up words that describe to her what I do,” said Perez, a social worker who says she is active in the community.

Perez told EGP books like “A de Activista” keep the “bilingual door open for kids.”

“A lot of these kids won’t have a culture to connect to and that’s when identity crisis occurs,” said Perez about the importance of exposing them to these types of experiences.

Gonzalez said Nagara approached her about writing a Spanish version of his book after being exposed to her lyrical work with Quetzal. The alliteration and rhymes written by Gonzalez are not a Spanish translation, but rather an adaption.

“I was writing directly to the actual images,” Gonzalez said, referring to the colorful images of historical figures, farmers, protestors, families and symbols of love, peace, politics and labor in the original book.

“I jumped at the chance of being a part of a Spanish language children’s book,” she said. “By the time they [kids] learn the words and letters for some of these ideas and go into the world they already have a name for the kind of oppressions they are going to experience,” Gonzalez explained about the book’s literary and social objective.

The Quetzal singer and percussionist grew up in Boyle Heights and is now a professor in Chicano Studies at Scripps Claremont College. She believes there are many people of her generation who, like her, have made the choice to return to the neighborhoods where they grew up and to make a difference.

“They have an understanding of how important it is to come back and really connect to the community here and to the different generations,” she said.

While there is more bilingual reading material available today than when she was growing up,  Gonzalez believes Latinos must be critical and selective about what’s put there. Just being in Spanish is not enough, she says.

“Our responsibility is to have the bilingual and Spanish stuff be conscientious,” she said, “not about selling these cheap ideas or ridiculous stereotypes to us.”

When the reading session was over, Gonzalez turned to what she is best known for, performing a song for the mothers in the room: “We’re not just celebrating kids, we’re celebrating moms,” she said.

Gonzalez’s husband and band co-founder, Quetzal Flores, and their nine-year-old son Sandino joined her for the event.

“Sandino introduced me to children’s literature,” she told the group in Spanish. “He loves reading.”

“Just sitting there he learned the culture of the book,” the activity that involves just sitting still and flippling through books, she added.

Monica Serafin took her children to the event because she enjoys finding literature that will encourage her children to read and introduce them to social issues.

“I grew up with the idea of the artivista in my life and I’m not sure my kids are getting enough of it,” said Serafin, a Whittier resident who frequently visits Espacio 1839.

“[The book] is nothing like anything that’s on my shelf right now,” she said enthusiastically.