Why celebrate?
The world is a diverse place, and we encounter people from around the world every day. Children meet new people everywhere, whether they are at home or school or in their neighborhoods. The Association of Library Service to Children said it best: “As our nation continues to diversify, it is essential that children learn to understand the important role of their culture and the cultures of other people in creating an overall global culture respectful of differences.”1
Language is an important part of a child’s culture and their development. Without language, children have difficulty communicating to adults and peers and, down the road, can also struggle to develop the skills they need to become strong readers and writers. It is, therefore, important that we read and speak with children in the language that is most comfortable to us – our native language. By doing this, we build essential language skills that will be transferable to the next language a child may learn.
Celebrating Día within our communities and our world helps reinforce the importance of learning throughout all languages and cultures and about the world around us.
How can you celebrate?
Every April, Nashville Public Library provides a program series called Community of Many Faces. Programs celebrating Día are connected to it, and you can find a listing of them here.
You can also find additional events happening in your area by visiting this map: http://cs.ala.org/websurvey/alsc/dia/map.cfm
Or read a book! Here’s a list of multicultural titles you and your child may enjoy.
newWidth) { wasResized = true; return jQuery(iframe).width(newWidth); } if (wasResized && originalWidth + 2*padding < viewPortWidth){ wasResized = false; return jQuery(iframe).width(originalWidth); } }; //-->1Association of Library Service to Children, written by Jamie Campbell Naidoo. The Importance of Diversity in Library Programs and Material Collection for Children. April 5, 2014.
