Author: Duncan Tonatiuh
Illustrator: Duncan Tonatiuh
Genre: Narrative Nonfiction
Grade Level: 1- 4th
Summary:
Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and her family have recently moved to Westminster, California where they are so excited to be enrolled at a school near their home. Those happy smiles they had disappeared in a matter of seconds when the school secretary told them they could not be accepted. The secretary told them they had to go to the " Mexican School" without giving them a clear explanation and only said that those were the rules that had to be followed. Sylvia spoke perfect English and was an American citizen. She questioned why her brother and she weren't allowed to enroll in the school while their cousins were the ONLY ones that could enroll. She started to wonder if the color of their skin had something to do with the decisions that were made. As the book continues, Sylvia's father decides to take action by forming a group called the Parents Association of Mexican-American Children where he started collecting signatures for a petition that allowed children from all different backgrounds and skin colors to be able to go to any school they want and have the same opportunities as others to become doctors, teachers, nurses, and other carriers. The Mendez family never gave up fighting for justice and equality which led them to victory!
Element 6: Social Action:
This book is a great demonstration of what it looks like to have social action in a community setting. In the book, it demonstrated if they wanted to fight for a cause they would need to have a majority of people on their side to fight with them. Being a one-person team there wasn't much that could be done or even have their voices heard. Once Sylvia's father heard what had happened he took action real quick. He got signatures for a petition, then went to court to fight for this injustice, and after the case; the news started to go all around the world and families started to get a lot of support from different organizations. Mr. Mendez wanted his children to have an equal opportunity in education just as other kids have. If we work together as a village we will get things taken care of. Mendez's family fought with actions and evidence instead of threatening to do something about it. La justica estaba a lado de ellos which means justice was on their side to win! This book shows students that if they see a problem occurring in their neighborhood, they can express their thoughts and feelings about the situation. They can take action and do something about it. They can stand up for what is right and fight back to have their voices heard.
Classroom Activity:
This book has many topics I could integrate into my classroom that can be used in different grade levels. For example:
- What does it mean by nonfiction? Fiction?
- Creating a story map of important events, characters, setting, and more
- Educating them about what being "EQUAL" means and being fair. (Asking students where they have seen equality and fairness and if they have experienced it)
- What is racism? What social action can we take to help others?
- What does it mean to fight for justice and equality?
- What is segregation? Why did it happen? How did it end?
- What does it mean for us to go around collecting signatures? (Petitions)
Activity Sources for class instruction:
You can find the book on the website below:
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