Embracing Diversity

My Word of the Year 2020

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I’ve chosen my word of the year 2020… Did you choose yours?

It’s officially the first Monday of the year 2020 as the clock hand marks a few minutes after midnight. I’m sitting in the living room looking at the Three Kings gifts my kids are getting for Día de Reyes in the morning and finally settled after our trip to the Dominican Republic to write about my word of the year 2020. I have been thinking and pondering about my intentions for this new 12-month cycle and what action word can keep me on track with what I want to accomplish.

As 2019 faded away, I spent time reflecting on how last year’s word shaped my actions throughout the year and how it served as a reminder in different moments and situations. This is my fourth year choosing a word of the year and I have seen how each year it has impacted my decisions and actions in a positive manner. Choosing a word of the year is a good practice if you are not one to write New Year’s resolutions but would love to give an action word to set your intentions for the New Year.

Last year I wrote about choosing a word of the year that supports your life as a multicultural mom. For 2020 I’ve learned from fellow blogger Sili Recio that it is good to also choose three anchor words that tie back your intention and support your word. This will be a first for me, but I think it’s a great idea to have the anchor words to add depth to what you want to achieve.

My Word of the Year 2020 Is FOCUS

Looking back at my 2019 there are many things I accomplished and I kept a hectic calendar from beginning to end. Although productive, this also led me to derail in some important aspects I wanted to tackle but didn’t due to having many open fronts. That’s why my word for 2020 is FOCUS.

My intention is to focus on my goals as a multicultural mom, professional and as an individual: concentrating on building my community of moms, studying and reading more to increase my knowledge and striving to be healthier and leaner than I have been in the last decade. All of these need my focus.

As per the Merriam-Webster dictionary, this word is both a noun and a verb:

As a noun, the word FOCUS has four definitions that are aligned with what I want to achieve this year:

1: a center of activity, attraction, or attention

2: a point of concentration

3: directed attention: EMPHASIS

4: a state or condition permitting clear perception or understanding

As a verb, the word FOCUS has five definitions that align with what I want to achieve for 2020:

Transitive form

1: to cause to be concentrated

2: to bring into focus

3: to bring (something) to a focus: CONCENTRATE

Intransitive form

1: to concentrate attention or effort (to focus on the most pressing needs)

2: to come to a focus: CONVERGE

As per the new addition to my word of the year practice (following the advice of my blogger friend Sili) I’ve also chosen 3 anchor words that will support my efforts in focusing on what’s important. I chose these words because of what they mean and how I need each of those things to stay focus and achieve my goals.

The word focus will support my efforts to be more focused on concrete goals I’ve put on the back burner.

  • I will focus on my health and fitness to become the strongest I can become. 
  • I will focus on my studies and research to increase my knowledge and improve my professional expertise while building a base for my professional future.
  • I will focus on my multicultural community locally and online.
  • I will continue to focus on my children and my family to support their wellbeing in all areas of their lives.
  • I will focus on my family’s financial goals and fulfill our plan for the year.

My 3 anchor words are:

Plan: A method for achieving an end; a detailed formulation of a program of action. An often customary method of doing something, a procedure. 

Strive: To devote serious effort or energy, to endeavor. To put determined effort into a goal.

Fulfill: To put into effect, to execute. To meet the requirements and/or to measure up and satisfy. To bring to an end. To develop the full potentialities; to convert into reality. To make full.

I’m excited about what this year will bring and confident my word of the year 2020 will guide my intentions and keep them on track. 

[dania]

Why We Celebrate The Act Of Giving Thanks

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“Today we woke up with God’s grace,” mamá often said in mornings in which there was no money or food in our house. Although there was no big feast or holiday celebration, giving thanks was something that my grandmother did often. Especially when things were hard and we were lacking the bare necessities. She believed that even when we had nothing, we still had God’s grace and it was something to be grateful for.
Although I’m not a religious person, I do believe in the importance of being grateful and it is one of the values I’m passing down to my children. Giving thanks provides us with a perspective about our lives, what we have and how fortunate we are. Like mamá, I often express my gratitude for things that happen in my daily life; but on top of that I talk to my children about being grateful, and how the privileges they enjoy also come with certain responsibilities.

As we all know, the act of giving thanks is not exclusive to the U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving as it is an ancient practice that has had many forms and rituals across centuries and cultures. Moreover, Native American people have different methods of giving thanks and have traditionally hosted community feasts and seasonal celebrations for thousands of years. That’s why, at home, we do celebrate the act of giving thanks, not a misguided retelling of history. 

Ever since I moved to the United States the celebration of Thanksgiving, as in giving thanks that is, has been my favorite to adopt. I think it offers us the chance to unite through the universal feeling of gratitude. Of course, it also provides a great opportunity to talk to our children about the history of the indigenous people, the hardship they have endured and how vibrant and alive their cultural practices are today. 

Giving Thanks On Thanksgiving Day And Beyond

As a mom, it is vital for me to teach my children to be grateful for the small and big things in life. Making sure they know that things that cost money are just that, and as cheesy as it might sound, the things that don’t have a monetary value are truly priceless. Giving thanks is an integral part of our lives at home, and having a holiday around gratefulness is something I love.

What we don’t do, however, is to tell our children a romanticized version of Thanksgiving, or call it “the first”. We take advantage of the holiday to talk to the kids about the indigenous people that live in North Carolina, where we live, and why within indigenous people you might find those who dislike the holiday, and others who choose to celebrate the act of giving thanks and perform ceremonies that pay tribute to their ancestors. We teach them to respect them all. 

Conversations about giving thanks and being grateful are everyday labor in our home. I point out the simple pleasures, like being able to laugh, run or eat icecream. Once the Thanksgiving holiday comes around, it is a celebration of what we do throughout the year, acknowledge what we have, how privileged we are to have each other, to have food to share and family and friends who love us. 

This is why Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Yes, of course, we have a delicious meal. We are Latinos, after all. Nothing better than to gather around the table to eat and be grateful for family, with music and games. However, we do it by being intentional about what we are really celebrating and passing on a tradition of gratefulness and not historical lies.

As a multicultural mom, another reason why we celebrate giving thanks during the Thanksgiving holiday is the cultural importance it has for my children. In my opinion, giving thanks is multicultural because it is a practice across cultures in different manners, also, as American born Latinos, it is a holiday that is very American and at the same time, very universal.

If you do celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you have an amazing time with those you love the most and take some time to talk to your kids about the power of gratitude and giving thanks.

Happy Thanksgiving!

[dania]

The Girls Bill of Rights To Celebrate The Day of the Girl

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Raising a girl is a true privilege for me, one that makes me grateful for the opportunity to nurture and empower a little girl in a world in which so many girls don’t enjoy basic rights and experience abuse and discrimination. That’s why I’m joining the launch of the Global Girls Bill of Rights – a declaration of the rights all girls are entitled to –  to celebrate the International Day of the Girl. 

The initiative by the organization She’s the First, in partnership with regional organizers Akili Dada and MAIA, aims to ensure all girls are able to enjoy the rights they deserve globally. What I like the most about this initiative is that the Girls Bill of Rights was crafted by girls themselves as a declaration of their priorities and with it making it clear that they want to be part of the conversations around the issues that impact their quality of life. 

The Global Girls Bill of Rights is an advocacy program that is building a coalition of ally organizations and collected the rights from girls in more than 30 countries around the world with the intention to presented at the United Nations. She’s the First is at the forefront of fighting for girls’ rights worldwide by teaming up with local organizations on the ground to make sure girls are educated, respected, and heard.

Today, as we celebrate the International Day of the Girl, a day the United Nations declared to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges they face globally, I’m proud to share the Girls Bill of Rights and hope you can help me spread the message on social media.

The Global Girls Bill of Rights
– By Girls Around The World, For Girls Everywhere

This week, the Global #GirlsBillsofRights was unveiled — it was written by girls all over the world, for girls everywhere. Their voices need to be heard and respected. Let’s amplify them on social and everywhere!

All girls have the right to… 

Girls Bill of Rights #1
Free, quality education which prepares them for the modern world.


 Girls Bill of Rights #2
Equality, free from discrimination and stereotypes. 

Girls Bill of Rights #3
Be involved in decision-making and to pursue leadership positions.

Girls Bill of Rights #4
Documentation, recognized by relevant authorities.


Girls Bill of Rights #5
Comprehensive sexual education and access to free, quality reproductive healthcare. 

Girls Bill of Rights #6
Be protected from harmful traditions and to enjoy positive cultural practices.

Girls Bill of Rights #7
Be safe from all forms of violence, in all locations.

Girls Bill of Rights #8
Make decisions about their bodies and sexuality.

Girls Bill of Rights #9
Be protected under the law without fear or unequal treatment.

Girls Bill of Rights #10
Be free from exploitation, safe from child labor, trafficking, and early marriage.
  

HOW TO GET INVOLVED…

You can pledge your support on social media:

“I pledge to support girls on the decisions that affect their lives. #GirlsBillofRights”

If you are a girl on social media, you can share this:

“Girls just want to have fundamental rights. These are mine; read them, respect them.” #GirlsBillofRights

You can co-sign the Global Girls Bill of Rights using the hashtag #GirlsBillofRights on social media.

ABOUT SHE’S THE FIRST
She’s the First (STF) fights for a world where every girl chooses her own future. This global nonprofit teams up with local organizations to make sure girls are educated, respected, and heard. STF has trained more than 75 local organizations to serve girls better every day, and together they’ve provided 7,800+ girls in 11 countries with the support and tools they need to become powerful agents of change. STF is a member of Michelle Obama’s Girls Opportunity Alliance and has been featured by numerous media outlets, including TODAY, MSNBC, Forbes, Fast Company, Glamour, Teen Vogue, Marie Claire. Diane von Furstenberg has recognized STF with a DVF Award and Chelsea Clinton honored them at Clinton Global Initiative U. STF celebrates 10 years of impact this October.

[dania]

21 Inspirational Quotes by American Latinos To Uplift & Empower #HHM

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As we continue the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, today I’m sharing 21 Inspirational Quotes by American Latinos.

These days, more than ever, we are in need of words of wisdom, inspiration, and empowerment in the Latino community. When so many are spewing hateful words towards and about us, we must remind ourselves of all the talent, goodness and strength that lives within us. That’s why I’ve compiled some of my favorite inspirational quotes by American Latinos that speak of the resilience, work ethic, and beauty of a community that lifts every corner of this country.

In celebration of Latino Heritage Month, I’ve chosen to feature inspirational quotes by American Latinos that not only offer encouragement in different areas but also tell our stories as many of us have lived them. These inspirational quotes offer a window through which we see reflected stories of struggle, defeat, and triumph. More importantly, they let us know that no matter what we are going through in our personal lives and as a group within the United States, we can overcome, work towards our goals and succeed.

From recognizing our place within the fabric of the US to being bold in our aspirations and goals, to how to deal with prejudice and raise children to be proud and empathetic, these twenty-one inspirational quotes by American Latinos can serve as fuel for celebrating the month and each other the best way we know how: working hard and getting the job done!

Be proud. Be decent. Be bold. Be inspired.

Happy Latino Heritage Month!

Inspirational Quotes by American Latinos

“The Latino population has become such a presence. We are part of the American tapestry in a very profound way, in every area you can think of and are very significant in popular culture.” ~ Jimmy Smith

“Being Afro-Latino is being a bridge-builder, standing squarely at the crossroads of pan Africanism in the US. I am a proud Black Panamanian! We exist! And we exist with the knowledge that Blackness is global in its scope. No one has hegemony on Blackness and we are the proof!” ~Merrick Moise

“We are always going to have prejudices … I don’t think we can change society. You can only change individual by individual. And you can change yourself.” –Esmeralda Santiago

“Some people shy away from boldly claiming what they most wish for. Maybe they fear it’ll make them look pushy. Or greedy. Or ungrateful for what they have. But when you keep your dreams hidden away, when you hide them under a sofa cushion, they never get the light they need to grow.” ― Diane Guerrero, In the Country We Love: My Family Divided

“We are a multicultural country – always have been, and to our credit, always will be. It is something that we should be very proud of and embrace.” ~Cheech Marin 

“In every position that I’ve been in, there have been naysayers who don’t believe I’m qualified or who don’t believe I can do the work. And I feel a special responsibility to prove them wrong.” ~Sonia Sotomayor

“The most valuable possession you can own is an open heart. The most powerful weapon you can be is an instrument of peace.” ~ Carlos Santana

“Every moment is an organizing opportunity, every person a potential activist, every minute a chance to change the world.” ~ Dolores Huerta

“One of the greatest things you have in life is that no one has the authority to tell you what you want to be. You’re the one who’ll decide what you want to be. Respect yourself and respect the integrity of others as well. The greatest thing you have is your self-image, a positive opinion of yourself. You must never let anyone take it from you.” – Jaime Escalante

“It is a necessity for us to raise our children with our roots so that they can communicate with their grandparents, but also so that they can create some kind of empathy for human beings that do not look like them, and do not sound like them and do not smell like them.” ~Zoe Saldaña

“Any time you have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and you don’t, then you are wasting your time on Earth.” ~Roberto Clemente

“You only live once. You don’t want your tombstone to read: played it safe.” ~ Rosario Dawson

“Preservation of one’s own culture does not require contempt or disrespect for other cultures”. ―Cesar Chavez

“Revenge only engenders violence, not clarity and true peace. I think liberation must come from within.” ~Sandra Cisneros

“You are not lucky to be here. The world needs your perspective. They are lucky to have you.” ~Antonio Tijerino

“You only have what you give. It’s by spending yourself that you become rich.” –Isabel Allende

“Success is a matter of one’s own feelings about oneself.”-Edward James Olmos

“Everything good that’s ever happened to me came out of helping others”. ~Danny Trejo

“As part of a minority within a minority, I’m concerned to hear voices that tolerate and even justify discrimination.”  ~Illia Calderón

“The point is not to pay back kindness, but to pass it on.” ~ Julia Alvarez

“In the end, the American dream is not a sprint, or even a marathon, but a relay. Our families don’t always cross the finish line in the span of one generation. But each generation passes on to the next the fruits of their labor.” ~Julian Castro

[dania]

Hispanic Heritage Month Series 2019 | Multicultural Kid BlogsWe are so excited for our eighth annual Hispanic Heritage Month series! Now through October 15, you’ll find great resources to share Hispanic Heritage with kids, plus you can link up your own posts on Hispanic Heritage! Find even more ideas on our Latin America Pinterest board:

September 16 Pura Vida Moms on Multicultural Kid Blogs: Celebrating Latino Culture

September 17 Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes: Julia de Burgos, Puerto Rico’s Most Famous Latina Poet

September 18 Hispanic Mama: Raising Kids to Be Proud of Their Latino Heritage

September 19 Spanish Playground: Spanish Tongue Twisters for Kids

September 20 MommyMaestra: Tito Puente Lesson Plans, Coloring Pages, Crafts, Activities and More

September 23 Kids Spanish Book Club

September 24 Embracing Diversity

September 25 el Mundo de Pepita

September 26 Little Nómadas

September 27 De Su Mama

September 30 Baby Devotions

October 1 For the Love of Spanish

October 2 Tiny Tapping Toes

October 3 LadydeeLG

October 4 Bicultural Familia

October 7 Spanish Mama

October 8 The Multilingual Home

October 9 Bookworms and Owls

October 10 Jeddah Mom

October 11 Pretty Mama Breastfeeding

October 14 Multicultural Kid Blogs

October 15 Maritere Bellas

Don’t miss all of the great posts from previous years as well: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

The American Latino Bill of Rights: Affirmations To Honor Latino Identity

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If you are American you know how deep the issues of racism and ethnic shaming run in this country. That leaves many in a constant state of explaining, and at times even justifying their identity. In a country where people are socialized by the way they look, there is little room to be yourself without someone having an opinion about it. The American Latino Bill of Rights comes from my quest to understand identity and pave the way for my children to find their own thread within the American fabric.

I’ve had many conversations with a wide variety of people on the topic of identity, and the opinions are as diverse as there are people. However, a few years ago I stumble upon the work of Dr. Maria P.P. Root, Ph.D. who created the “Bill of Rights for People of Mixed Heritage” and the “Multiracial Oath of Social Responsibility”. I connected with her work and especially this affirmations’ statement that validates the existence of people considered “ethnically ambiguous”. 

Ever since I read her work, I have been thinking about creating The American Latino Bill of Rights to affirm what many of us feel and think when our identities are questioned. Now more than ever we must speak up and assert our rights to be proud of our ancestry, to be different and to belong. I found validating truths on Dr. Root’s ‘Bill of Rights for People of Mixed Heritage’ and the Multiracial Oath of Social Responsibility that apply to the reality of many American Latinos. 

However, I decided to write The American Latino Bill of Rights to address things that are specific to Latinos that may not apply to other people with mixed heritage. As a Black Latina woman from the Dominican Republic, I know very well what mixed heritage and mixed ethnicity look like, although these aren’t topics I had discussed before moving to the United States.

In American history, the Bill of Rights guarantees citizens certain freedoms as the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution. With her work, Dr. Root decided to declare certain rights people of mixed heritage have that are often challenged by what is considered the norm. As powerful as it was for me to read it, it also made me think of the different challenges for Latinos in the US, and what better time than Hispanic Heritage Month to publish The American Latino Bill of Rights to affirm the rights our multicultural and multiethnic reality grants us.


The American Latino Bill of Rights:
10 Positive Affirmations To Honor My Children’s Identity

When Dr. Root created her document, she asserted the identities of people of mixed heritage and with it, she somewhat gave this group permission not to conform. In my case, writing The American Latino Bill of Rights is a matter of providing my children, and American Latino children alike, positive affirmations to honor who they are and the way they choose to identify. 

In these troubling times, it is also a way for us as adults to affirm our right to feel comfortable in our own skin, to be unapologetically who we are. Dr. Root’s Bill of Rights for People of Mixed Heritage has allowed me to be more comfortable in my own skin as a Dominican American who navigates an identity that is multilayered. More importantly, it has given me tools to affirm and model a positive multicultural and multiethnic identity for my growing children.

Here, The American Latino Bill of Rights: 


I HAVE THE RIGHT…

To be monolingual, bilingual or fluent in Spanglish

To speak Spanish in public places without being attacked or vilified

To speak out if/when one of the groups I belong to discriminates against the other(s)

To assert my identity as I experience it, not as others view it due to the social construct 

To know that I am enough: Latino enough and American enough no matter my place of birth or language proficiency

I HAVE THE RIGHT…

To take up space, speak my mind and be unapologetically me

To know that I belong wherever my skills, talents, and achievements take me

To assert that no human being is illegal and families belong together

To be considered a whole individual: fully American, fully Latino, there is no half

To enjoy public spaces with friends and family without being bullied or attacked

[dania]

Spanish Language Resources: 9 Online Tools To Boost Bilingualism At Home

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New school year. New milestones. New learning. Want to boost your kids’ bilingualism? Not to worry! I have curated a list of Spanish language resources to help you in supporting the bilingual children you have at home. From rhymes to bilingual books to culturally-relevant videos, there are several different options to keep your little ones entertained and learning all year long.

One of the advantages of raising bilingual in this digital era is having access to a wide range of Spanish language resources we can choose from. The problem for us as busy moms is to determine what are the best options among so many websites and apps currently available and offering what they consider the best Spanish language resources.

Luckily for me, and for you as my readers, my kids’ teachers on the dual-language program they are enrolled in usually give us recommendations at the beginning of the school year. The sites I’ve chosen to share with you are in my opinion the most practical and useful in our everyday lives.

Depending on the needs, the age of the kids and language proficiency, the Spanish language resources provided here give you easy, high-quality access to books, lessons and videos that combined can keep your kids entertained and learning the language in fun, engaging ways. 

9 Spanish Language Resources To Use At Home

Read Conmigo. This is an award-winning bilingual program that helps parents to read to their kids in Spanish or English. This is one of the great Spanish language resources with hundreds of bilingual ebooks that you can download for free. Every year, they also send out a printed book during the summer to families that subscribe to their platform. My new bilingual children’s book, “Sebastian’s Game Day Surprise”, is this year’s printed book. The only thing you have to do is register and enjoy this wonderful platform with your little ones. Register here.

Mundo Lanugo™. Mundo Lanugo is a socially responsible entertainment world that connects kids to the Hispanic culture and promotes the Spanish language while building their identity and self-esteem. Via fun animated videos, a culturally relevant app, and authentic live shows, each Lanugo character presents a facet of Latino culture, such as music, crafts, traditional games, cooking, and storytelling, creating a proven formula to teach culture to children and to awaken their curiosity to learn more about themselves. No registration is necessary.

Spanish Spanish. Although this one is not visually attractive, it provides an easy way to practice and learn Spanish. Their vocabulary section is very useful to learn new words with their proper pronunciation. It gives you the word, a picture, and an audio file that tells you the right pronunciation. A great tool for kids ages 5 and up. It is free to use and it doesn’t require registration.

Story Place. This is the online library of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is a fully bilingual site that offers Spanish language resources and books mostly for preschoolers and rising kindergarteners. If you are local to Charlotte, they have frequent storytimes at the library for you to attend. You need to have adobe flash player available to read the stories. No registration required.

Mundo Primaria. This website is only available in Spanish and it offers a wide range of Spanish language resources like games, short stories, fables, drawings, readings, tongue twisters, jokes, infographics, multiplication tables, and so much more. It is high-quality content for children between the ages of 3 and 12 years old. No registration required. 

Jugar Gratis. As stated in the name, this site has free games in Spanish for kids to play. You need to register to access the games, but it is worth it if your little ones like online videos and you want them to practice their Spanish language skills. You’ll find free engaging games for a lot of action, math, fashion, puzzles, and much more.

1, 2, 3 Teach Me. This is a global platform and it provides plenty of Spanish language resources for both children and adults. It is one of the largest websites in the world for learning Spanish. In their kids’ category, they have interactive games for younger kids, flashcards and vocabulary, quizzes, music videos, numbers, the alphabet, the colors, worksheets, and much more. They have a free version and also a paid premium version with more content and lessons. You can register here for free to get access. 


Mil Cuentos. This is another one simple website that doesn’t really sell you for its looks. However, they have a lot of short stories that your kids can enjoy with audio of children who are native Spanish speaker reading them. The illustrations of these stories are made by kids, which can encourage your own children to create and illustrate stories. No registration needed and very easy to use.

Spanish Town. Last but not least, this page has a wide variety of Spanish language resources for children and adult beginners. They have free downloadable word find, crossword puzzles, and matching activities. Also, basic lessons with vocabulary, grammar, greetings, shapes, colors, and numbers up to 10. There is no registration necessary for this site.

[dania]

5 Multicultural Activities You Can Do With Your Children 

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It is no secret that this generation of American children is living in a multicultural society. Never before a US cohort interacted daily with different cultures and people of different ethnicities like the kids of today. One of the ways we can help them make sense of the diversity around them is by engaging them in multicultural activities you can do at home and within your local community as you learn together about world cultures and the people that keep them alive. 

For many multicultural moms, like myself, leading a multicultural life is a continuous learning experience. We grew up within homogeneous environments in which those around us ate, danced, worshiped and enjoyed the same cultural norms. There were “right” and “wrong” ways of thinking and doing things. That’s why the skepticism of multiculturalism is only normal. Many are afraid that by doing multicultural activities we are going against some unwritten rules of how cultures should evolve and stay “pure”, whatever that means.

Through globalization, however, we have achieved much sooner what was always inevitable due to human migration: the birth of the global village. Thanks to technology advancements in key fields, we are more connected and closer to reaching one another across the country and the globe. In the same manner, our children are experiencing the global village in their schools and neighborhoods and by engaging in multicultural activities with them we not only teach them about those cultures, but we also enrich our own life experiences and widen our understanding of what’s different from us.

Raising multicultural, like everything we do as moms, takes planning and conscious effort. It takes commitment to step out of the comfort zones of the routines: school, homework, sports, bedtimes, and everything in between. Personally, I need to constantly remind myself of participating in multicultural activities and events in my local community and also create multicultural activities to do in our home that can support what they see and experience outside. 

5 Multicultural Activities To Engage Kids Ages 5 to 17

Fiesta Time! As a Caribbean family, we love a good party and honestly tend to feel as if we are “the best” at it. However, it is a great learning experience for everyone to create theme celebrations of how people celebrate around the world. Go beyond decorating and serving traditional foods; make sure you bring books from the library that describe the significance of the celebration, play traditional music and create word games that relate to the chosen theme, so kids can learn words in the language of the chosen country. It can be done once a month, or even once quarterly if you have time constraints. It will be a fun way of learning about other traditions and values.

Cultural Staycations. Managing a family budget makes us appreciate the concept of staycations. While I’d love to be globetrotting with my kids, the reality is that most of the traveling we get to do is within the US where we live.  That’s why I loved the idea that my friend Michelle, a former school principal, gave me a few years ago. Create a staycation at home in which for one day, you “travel” to a foreign country. You can prepare everything in advance, and even invite your kids’ friends if they like, as you go on an adventure. Get pretend passports at the dollar store, research everything about the city and country you’ll be “traveling” to and make the whole day about that place. Prepare suitcases so they can grab them in the morning, they should contain information, postcards, and an itinerary of activities for the day.

Pretend Play School. One thing I noticed my children pretend-play to is as if they are in school. My kids, ages 5 through 10, enjoy taking the role of the teacher or the student and they spend a good amount of time doing so. Taking that cue from them, I’ve come up with focusing on how school works in different countries. Picking a country and creating a similar environment, find fun lessons they can learn, eat a similar lunch and do some of the activities other children do in the chosen country. Have conversations about how are the schools in other places and mimic their environment as much as possible. Make sure to use winter months to reflect the realities of children who live in colder areas and use summer months to recreate warmer climates.

Cooking Culture. Food is a huge part of culture and traditions around the world and choosing a day to cook with your children the famous dishes from a chosen country, is one of those great multicultural activities that everyone can enjoy at home. I often teach my kids about Dominican food and in that same manner, we can use food from other countries to teach our children about their origin and which traditions and environments lead to the creation of such dishes. This is a great bonding activity and can also help us in teaching them about healthy habits and how kids enjoy healthy foods around the world.

Words, Fun & Games. Some of the multicultural activities mentioned before take more time and planning that we don’t have as often. However, creating small crafts, learning new words and playing games children play around the world can provide cultural knowledge and fun with activities that are simple and small. Having handy word games, coloring pages with cultural information and reading together about different adventures will definitely enrich their lives and open their minds about the cultures of the world.

[dania]

My New Bilingual Children’s Book From Read Conmigo: Sebastian’s Game Day Surprise

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Surprise, surprise! It is with great joy that I introduce to you my new bilingual children’s book: “Sebastian’s Game Day Surprise/La Sorpresa de Sebastián el Día del Partido Final” that I wrote for Read Conmigo. With this, my second book, I hit a new milestone as a children’s author by bringing to life a character that positively represents AfroLatino children through one of my favorite topics: baseball.

Continuing with my mission as a children’s author of bringing authentic stories about American Latinos that are as diverse as our community, the launch of this new bilingual children’s book brings me great satisfaction as over 100 thousand Latino families across the United States will receive a hard copy, and hundreds of thousands more will have access to the electronic version. 

My new bilingual children’s book is Read Conmigo’s 2019 Summer Printed Book and I’m glad they allowed me to write this sweet story with some of their awesome characters. I couldn’t be happier to have partnered with them to write a book about an Afro-Latino kid who has a supportive dad, amazing friends and loves baseball. I know that American Latino kids all over the United States will enjoy this story that celebrates perseverance and sportsmanship.

In creating the manuscript for ‘Sebastian’s Game Day Surprise’ I drew from the experiences I had as a kid playing in baseball and softball teams. My intention was to transmit the friendship that comes from practicing and uniting as a team. Also, to highlight the value of sportsmanship. I truly hope this new bilingual children’s book provides kids important lessons they can apply in their own lives.

The Story Behind My New Bilingual Children’s Book

As with all great things in life, there is a ‘behind the scenes’ on how this book came about and is one that I like to share with all of you. Last year, my dear friend and fellow author Maritere Rodríguez-Bellas introduced me to Frances Zazueta from Read Conmigo. As it is usual in this digital world it was an email introduction, but it happened at the right time since I already had plans to go to Los Angeles for a conference later in the year.

I met with Frances and one of her team members in October and we spoke about what kind of story they wanted from me. We talked about my passion for baseball and the need they had for an original story that covered the topic. We ended the conversation excited and I started envisioning new bilingual children’s book right then and there. Little over a month later I had the first draft of the manuscript and sent to Frances.

The rest of the ‘behind the scenes’ is the regular process for the making of a Read Conmigo book and they are detailed in the following video created by them. I encourage you to watch the video with your little ones as it presents a great opportunity for them to learn how a printed book is made; you just need to sign up for free on the Read Conmigo website to get access to the video.

About Read Conmigo And Its Mission

Read Conmigo is a free, award-winning program that encourages parents to read to their children in English and Spanish. Through their online platform, they provide a new bilingual children’s book in digital format three times a year. It was created out of the need of many American Latino households in which parents, grandparents, and caregivers weren’t able to read fluently in English and were hesitant to read to their children in Spanish, fearing that this may impair their ability to properly master the English language. 

The program provides free bilingual children’s books, educational apps, and literacy resources for children in preschool through fifth grade. Read Conmigo was created by Infinity Insurance to provide parents and teachers free tools and resources to help them foster a love of reading among their children and students. Infinity and Read Conmigo have donated over one million Spanish-English new bilingual children’s books to families, schools and libraries nationwide since 2010. Today over 160,000 families and educators are part of Read Conmigo. 

As explained on their website, “studies have shown that families play a vital role in childhood literacy. According to the National Education Association, 26% of children who were read to three or four times in the last week by a family member recognized all letters of the alphabet. This is compared to 14% of children who were read to less frequently.”

Statistics aside, we know how important it is to read to our children and nurture that bond and love of reading for them. I invite you to take advantage of this great program and register to Read Conmigo to gain access to my new bilingual children’s book “Sebastian’s Game Day Surprise” as well as all the other phenomenal books they have for Latino families.

My sincere gratitude…

Last, but not least, I want to express my gratitude to Maritere Rodríguez-Bellas who has given me her support. Amiga, having your friendship is a real treasure!

Also grateful to Frances Zazueta for her trust, support, and overall awesomeness throughout this process.

Big thanks to the amazing Justin Dial whose talent beautifully brought this story to life.

As always, my never-ending gratitude and love to Los Cools: my kids, my mother, and my husband who fuel and encourage my creativity, and support me every step of the way.

¡Gracias Totales!

[dania]