Latin American People and Culture

1. Latin American People and Culture Presented by Marcela Sánchez HCL Spanish-language Outreach Liaison

2. Who are Latinos? • Not one race • People of different ethnicity, class, religion, language and national backgrounds

3. Many countries, many cultures North America Mexico Central America and the Caribbean Guatemala, Cuba, Haiti, Honduras, etc. South America Brazil, Argentina, Guyana, Paraguay, etc. Spain Who are Latinos?

4. Latino culture • Family and interdependence • Names have important meaning

5. Latino culture Multiple names and last names Emilio Javier Sánchez Campos Irma Verónica Castro Sosa Jared Antonio Cuevas Nava Elsa Verónica Sánchez Castro Carlo Francisco Sánchez Castro Marcela Sánchez Castro Delia Cuevas Sánchez Antonio (Toño) Cuevas Sánchez

6. People go by their chosen name (nombre) and paternal last name (apellido paterno) Irma Verónica Castro de Sánchez Verónica Castro Marcela Sánchez Castro Marcela Sánchez Elsa Verónica Sánchez Castro Ing. Elsa V. Sánchez Castro Latino culture

7. Deference to power Diplomatic and formal Use of titles Status Language Economics Skin color Education Family National origin Strong work ethic Latino culture

8. Latino culture Time More of a goal than a definite expectation Food Main meal of the day is a late lunch (2-3 p.m.) Most food is not spicy, Mexico’s chiles and spicy foods are the exception

9. Latino culture Religion Vast majority of Latinos are Catholic Large number turning to the Pentecostal faith; 5-15% Protestant Faith isn’t as much of a Sunday commitment, but a part of everyday life Healing plants

10. Latino ways of communicating Physical contact while conversing Strangers on a train, or bus, plane etc. Hand gestures / pointing Stand close while speaking to you • Some people speak loudly and will drop what they are doing to stop and talk for a long time

11. Spanglish Spanglish not only in the US, also in Latin America Everyday words parquear, grincar, la migra Sports nocaut (boxing), jonrón (baseball) Business marketing or marqueteo, joint venture Cybernetics Chatear, forwardear, googlear, el maus

12. Latinos in the U.S. Non recent immigrants, many of them English dominant • Mexican-Americans • “We didn’t cross the border the border crossed us” • Puerto Ricans – NY • “I am a citizen twice!” • Cuban-Americans - FL • Dominicans – NY

13. Latino Hispanic Chicano Immigrant Refugee Authorized or unauthorized Documented or undocumented Illegal alien Migrant worker (bracero) Terminology

14. Latinos in Libraries

15. Many Latino customers in the library… Are uncomfortable approaching library staff members with questions. So… You approach them! Latinos in Libraries

16. Many Latino customers in the library… Are more comfortable with chit-chat rather than direct questions. So… Be ready to spend some time talking about family, jobs, weather, etc. before getting to the “real” reference question. Latinos in Libraries

17. Many Latino customers in the library… Are unwilling to show disagreement with a figure of authority (library staff). So… Make sure to ask several times if the information is helpful or if they have any other questions. Latinos in Libraries

18. Treat Latino customers, especially adults, with formality and respect. • Try to remember faces and names. • Ask about their children and other family members. • Pay attention to body language. The key is building relationships

19. Concrete ideas Consider programs that will be especially interesting and useful to the Latino community. • Cultural programs • Conversation Circles • Citizenship information sessions • Computer classes in Spanish • Spanish-language storytimes

20. Concrete ideas • Create displays of new and attractive Spanish-language books • Translate important signs into Spanish • Practice your Spanish, support other library staff in learning Spanish • Put signs in Spanish section offering assistance in Spanish • If you speak Spanish, announce it! Wear a button or make a sign!

21. What do Latinos read? Asked for in the library: • Childcare books • Books about religion • Self­help books • Love poetry in Spanish • Home/auto repair manuals • Cookbooks • Latin American authors • Films in Spanish • Driver’s manual in Spanish

22. What do Latinos read? Mexican comics • Weekly print runs vary but go from 300,000 to 9 million copies • Plus exports to Central and South America and USA (East Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco)

23. Alvarez, Julia. How the García girls lost their accents. Avila, Elena. The Woman Who Glows in the Dark. Cisneros, Sandra. Caramelo. ___. The House on Mango Street Díaz, Junot.The brief wondrous life of Oscar Wao. Esquivel, Laura. Like Water for Chocolate. García Márquez, Gabriel. Cronicle of a Death Foretold. ___. The General in His Labyrinth. ___. One Hundred Years of Solitude. Martínez, Rubén. Crossing Over: A Mexican Family on the Migrant Trail. Nazario, Sonia. Enrique’s Journey. Quiñones, Sam. Antonio’s Gun and Delfino’s Dream. Roethke Leigh. Latinos in Minnesota. Santiago, Esmeralda. When I was Puerto Rican. Shorris, Earl. Latinos : A Biography of the People. Recommended Reading

24. Alire, Camila and Jacqueline Ayala. Serving Latino Communities: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians. New York : Neal-Schuman Publishers, c2007. Ashton, Rick and Danielle Patrick Milam. Welcome, Stranger: Public Libraries Build the Global Village. Urban Libraries Council. c2008 Buckman, Robert T. The World Today Series: Latin America, Harpers Ferry, WV. : Stryker-Post Publications, c2007.  Figueredo, D.H. The complete idiot's guide to Latino history and culture. Indianapolis, IN : Alpha, c2002. Roethke Leigh. Latinos in Minnesota. Afton, MN : Afton Historical Society Press, c2007. SOL (Spanish in our Libraries) and PLUS (Public Libraries Using Spanish). http://www.sol-plus.net/plus/author.htm Stavans, Ilan. Latino U.S.A. : a cartoon history.New York : Basic Books, c2000. ___Spanglish : the making of a new American language. New York : Rayo, c2003. Reference Sources