As a young queer person, did you see your story told in books much? Probably not, right? The same goes for Latine kids, who are far less likely to be included in children’s books.
In 2019, of 3,716 children’s books surveyed by Cooperative Children’s Book Center only 5.3 percent of them had Latinx main characters & 3.1% LGBTQIAP. Yet Latines are estimated to be about 19% of the U.S. population. Black, Asian-Pacific and young people with disabilities are also underrepresented in children’s books.
Seeing a dearth of books about Latine people, the organization Hispanic Star teamed up with Macmillan to create a series of books that would “get Hispanic heroes into every Latine household and ensure every Latino kid has access to the stories of their own heroes.”
One of the subjects is Sylvia Rivera, a trans leader who helped pave the way for the modern LGBTQ movement and who was born in New York to Puerto Rican and Venezuelan parents. After the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, she worked with groups like the Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activists Alliance to push for the inclusion of trans women and drag queens in their efforts for equity. She also founded STAR with her friend Marsha P. Johnson, a group that provided services to queer youth experiencing homelessness.
The book about Rivera, written by Claudia Romo Edelman and J. Gia Loving, will be available May 16th along with a book about singer and actress Selena Gómez. Then, in the fall, they will be joined by books about Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and astronaut Ellen Ochoa.
“Everyone in the series shows life as it is — filled with hope and dreams but also with challenges and obstacles. All advanced human rights in one way or another. We feel that Sylvia Rivera meets our criteria with flying colors. Sylvia Rivera had the courage to lead her life with integrity, purpose and determination. She was kind and compassionate. Like all our other subjects, she lived a life that was true to herself, carved her own path, and fought for her dreams and beliefs,” said co-writer Romo Edelman who is also the founder and CEO of the We Are All Human Foundation.
The Hispanic Star is a We Are All Human Foundation initiative and a unifying brand that acts as a platform to unite businesses, non-profits, community leaders, and celebrities to accelerate the advancement of Hispanics in the US and to improve perception by celebrating the incredible contributions of Latinos to the country’s progress. At a time when so many are trying to silence transgender people, the inclusion of this LGBTQ icon is most welcome.