Teacher Resource Center Display Highlights Local Children’s Book Authors for Hispanic Heritage Month

With the creativity of local authors Armida Espinoza and Yecenia E. Mariscal Tinajero, the Teacher Resource Center (TRC) showcases two displays for Hispanic Heritage Month, capturing the process and inspiration of their children’s books. In a special Q&A below, Armida and Yecenia offer beautiful insights into their stories and displays, both of which highlight their Mexican-American experience.

Including achievements in your display, from a certificate of your graduation from kindergarten to first grade to being an Award Winning Author of the International Latino Book Awards, how do you hope to inspire second language learners?

Armida: First of all, there was a reason for only having these certificates. After experiencing the embarrassment of not knowing my alphabet in first grade. I shut down. Since I didn’t have the intellectual knowledge and maturity to understand that learning was a process, I assumed I needed to already know everything. After that experience, I made the decision to never again allow myself to be in that position hence I slipped into a quiet silent period of life with the imposter syndrome hanging over my head. I never earned any other certificates of achievement thereafter. 

Step out of the shadows, and sharing why I did what I did and how it impacted me, is what I want to talk to students about. I want to inspire them to validate their worth at each step in their learning. Encourage them not to shy away from their own fears, instead understand that they are not expected to know everything. Go easy on themselves. Allow themselves time to mature and develop their knowledge. Learning is incremental. Every year of learning builds the foundation of knowledge. I want to impress upon them not to allow making mistakes, mispronounce a word, not knowing a word, or not knowing how to spell a word when writing, to hold them back. Ask questions, over and over if they must.

Understand that we all learn at different rates. Don’t compare yourself to others.

Your display contains vibrant colors, children’s books, and crayons—holding overall positive connotations—but also shows an illustration of a distressed child at a school desk. How does this reflect your mission to validate the academic and emotional reality of second language learners?

Armida: Although I speak from the perspective of a second-language learner, my experience is applicable to every child who is at the crossroads of learning something new, whether it be a language, math, or reading and writing even for English-only speakers. I want to bring to light the anxiety, stress, and fears, that then affect the academic and emotional growth of a child. I want to bring to light that all these feelings are real. We need to not shy away from addressing these emotions. If we don’t address them and teach children how to take control of their self-talk, those distressful emotions just continue to build upon each other, suffocating the child’s mindset.

With Mexican cultural symbols such as prayer candles and calaveras, how do you hope this display reflects the significance of culture in your academic journey?

Armida: Being that our academic/self-development journeys go hand-in-hand, I wanted to give students a glimpse into my childhood to show that all these items are the sum of who I am today. I want folks to recognize and value all the cultural influences of their own lives whatever their background might be. I would hope that my display makes them stop and reflect on their own lives and find gratitude in their own culture and history.

You include pictures of your family and a family tree in the display. What role did your family play in overcoming your fears and insecurities as a second language learner?

Armida: Good question…unfortunately since I was first generation here in the US and my parent did not have to privilege of being educated, it was hard for them to understand what I was going through. My parents, like most parents today, didn’t have the tools and understanding of the fears and insecurities that I was experiencing. Schools have changed so much. Back then, schools were not equipped to engage parents to the degree they do now.

What I can say is my parents did the best they could, provided me with a roof over my head, healthy warm meals, and a bed that I could lay at night without a care in the world. I had a wonderful childhood for which I am so grateful. While my parents were agricultural workers and we relied on welfare, food stamps, public housing, and medical services, along with any other social service support we qualified for, I never lacked anything.

Writing my book as a bilingual book, I hope that parents regardless of their lack of the English language, can now have the opportunity to have conversations with their children around their fears and insecurities.

Your display contains a sweet thank you from a student, expressing that she learned a lot from your book. How do moments like these impact and inspire you?

Armida: These moments fill my bucket with such gratitude and leave me speechless. I still get pretty emotional at times when I read my book to students and even adults because I come to realize how sad it must have been for me (I didn’t comprehend what I was going through), going through all of elementary, middle school, and high school without ever asking for help and just learning what I could on my own. I don’t wish this on anyone and now find comfort in knowing that I can now share my story and that it can open up a conversation with students, to not be ashamed or embarrassed about not knowing. This is my WHY, my PURPOSE.

In your display, what was your process of conveying the colorful and magical place readers experience through the eyes of Brian, the young protagonist?

Yecenia: When I wrote the story Visiting My Great-Grandparents I put myself in Brain’s shoes, my youngest son. (I never like leaving either of my boys out, so I did ask both my boys who I should have as the protagonist. They were ok if I went with either). As I wrote I thought about children who have experienced moments like my boys did, and wanted for them to think about their memories so they won’t forget them.  I also wanted for children who have never been to Mexico to experience it through my book.

A picture in the display of your grandparents holding your book adding much more meaning to the title, Visiting My Great-Grandparents. How did they guide your journey in creating this story, and what was their response to its publication?

Yecenia: My grandparents are amazing human beings. Sadly, they live far and we only get to see them once in a while. The times we get to see them are cherished. Years ago they would visit us more often, now we visit them. Those visits became beautiful memories that helped me in creating this story. There were times I called my grandmother to ask her a few questions, questions more about the weather and summer season. 

During the writing process I did let them know that I was writing a book and they would be in it. They expressed happiness. I wanted to deliver the book to them in person so, in May of this year we did that. When they saw the book they showed huge smiles. They loved it. That day, my grandma hugged me and started to cry. She remembered when my kids were little and they would visit and give her big hugs. We hugged and cried together. 

I did tell my sister I wouldn’t be able to read it to them because I would get emotional, so my sister did me the honor of reading it to both my grandparents before bedtime. It was so nice to see a video of them in bed while my sister read it to them. I did, however, read it to my grandmother the following day after my aunt asked me to read it. 

You include pictures of your two children in the display, and they are mentioned in the displayed biography. How have your children inspired you in writing this story?

Yecenia: When I decided to write this book I knew that I wanted it to be special and what else than to include my two boys. My boys are my World! They have always been my motivation for everything I do. During the process my boys would leave me encouraging words on my white board in my workroom. They are very supportive and I love that about them. 

With ten years of experience working with preschool children and currently working as a Dual immersion teacher, how do you hope your book serves young readers?

Yecenia: I hope my book helps students to cherish the small moments with their grandparents/great-grandparents because we don’t know how long we will have them with us. I also want students to remember their roots, their culture and always go back to that. Sometimes we adapt to other traditions and ways of living that we forget where we come from and who we really are. I also hope this book helps students realize the importance and blessing of knowing two languages. I decided to write a bilingual book for that same reason, so students can read it both in English and Spanish.

What was your process for selecting items representative of your family’s heritage and culture for your display?

Yecenia: I wanted to showcase my culture as much as possible. I decided to include the items that we still use and items my grandparents still have in Mexico. I added the tortilla press along with a servilleta para las tortillas (tortilla warmer cloth) that my grandmother gifted me. I added small dishes, coins, colorful flowers, and papel picado banners. I also added a small chair that my husband made for me to represent the chairs that my grandparents have. Adding live pictures helped bring across culture as well. 

The display allows us to not only showcase works created by Fresno State graduates and local teachers, but it also reflects experiences and identities so many of our students can relate to.

Matthew Doyle, TRC and Research Services Librarian

As a Fresno State graduate, what are your feelings about returning to the university to have your book displayed for Hispanic Heritage Month?

Armida: While this was never on my radar in life, it is without a doubt, and humbling experience. Considering I never thought I was smart enough to go to college, I am grateful that once I controlled my negative voice, I found my way to Fresno State. I will forever be indebted to the many professors and support I received while there.

Yecenia: It is an honor to have my book displayed in Fresno State for Hispanic Heritage Month. I would have never imagined this would ever happen. When I was working on the display I went down memory lane. During the years I studied at Fresno State I became a mom of my handsome boys. I remember the long drives to Fresno State and thinking to myself that I had to finish my education for my boys. I did it for them. I wanted them to be proud of me one day because being a first generation, married, with two sons and getting an education was not easy. So, now I take my boys back to Fresno State but now in a children’s book.

For updates on upcoming book releases and events, keep up with the authors through their social media!

Written by Mallory Crow, content writing student assistant.