Separate is Truly Never Equal

This week we had the opportunity to read Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and her Family's Fight for Desegregation written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh. This book depicts the life of a young girl and her family who fight the power in order to have the opportunity to go to a school that will give her and her brothers an equal right to an education. Her family consists of both of her parents, specifically her father who got a great new job leasing a farm. They move to a new neighborhood in California where the kids in the family are rejected from the closest school since it is a "white" school. Her father plays a huge role in changing this legislation when he finds a lawyer, begins speaking with the people who are in charge of the school and the district, and find other families who are experiencing the same problems.

This book is written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh who is an #OwnVoices author. The authenticity is very present due to his Mexican heritage. He has won many awards for his writing and illustrating including the Sibert Medal, the Tomás Rivera Mexican-American Children's Book Award, The Jane Addams Children's Book Award, and the New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book Award. I linked his personal blog here.

Along with the captivating and eye-opening story, Duncan Tonatiuh's illustrations are always something that resonate with me while reading any book he has illustrated. Something that stuck out to me was a quote from Duncan Tonatiuh in the article called, "Counter-Storytelling through Graphic Life Writing." He said, "That is why my art is very geometric, my characters are always in profile, and their ears look a bit like the number three. My intention is to celebrate that ancient art and keep it alive." This was moving to me because I have always noticed how unique his drawings are, but knowing the motivation behind them makes them more important and praise-worthy. Keeping this authentic culture representation "alive" as he stated is one of the reasons why he is an esteemed illustrator. In this book, two of his images really stood out to me.

This image strikes me in particular because it is an illustration that represents the pain and loneliness of someone who is being defaulted for their race or identity. To see a young girl crying in the hallway is a heartbreaking visual that shows readers how true racism is in our world- even amongst children. You can see that Sylvia looks different than the other children, and the young white boy pointing at her shows the deprecation her peers have for her based on her skin color and appearance. The next illustration tells a different story.

Tonatiuh's illustration here shows the support and love that their family is receiving for their case to integrate all schools. This illustration combats racism, showing the reader that coming together and supporting others is the most powerful tool you can use. Fighting alongside our brothers and sisters (who may not look just like us) creates power and unity, something that our world needs more of today.

Sylvia, her father, and her mother all rise together in this story to meet their challenges head on. Sylvia speaks out against the injustices she is receiving by going to the "Mexican" school, and how separating everyone based on their race is a huge problem. Her father seeks help with lawyers, their neighbors, and other hispanic families who are battling the same cause. Her mother helps out on the farm while her father fights the system. Even her aunt refuses to put her children (Sylvia's cousin) in the white school until this issue is resolved. Together they create a community that is welcoming and stands up against stereotypes and racism. Duncan Tonatiuh represents this perfectly through his illustrations, showing readers that together we can make a change.

In order to show students the importance of the message outlined in this text, I would begin a discussion asking them questions like, "Who is being represented here?" and "Is this treatment fair? Why not?" These kinds of questions get children thinking of what the issue is and how they can come together to help combat it as well. Something that was discussed in our textbook, Reading to Make a Difference was asking students "Why are they treated differently because of the way they look?" and have them write their answers on sticky notes and do a partner share where they talk with a partner about their thoughts. These discussions lead to connections and conversations that show students how unequal this treatment is, and if they can relate to it in any way. I would also introduce this book and after reading and discussion, I would have my students create a Venn Diagram to compare the treatment that Sylvia Mendez was given to the way Rosa Parks was treated. Both suffered from segregation, and this activity would promote students to connect the information about Sylvia Mendez to another story of our history where African Americans are treated with the same inequities. Making connections and having conversations with peers will promote the understanding of segregation and help students make sense of it themselves.