Teaching Hispanic Literature in Middle School
Implications for teaching in the middle school:
In middle school, students are open to learning about other adolescents. Part of this could be in relation to Erikson’s stages of development. In middle school, most students are at the fifth stage: Identity vs Role Confusion. In this stage they become aware of who they are, and they accept it or challenge it. Introducing students to adolescents from all cultures is important. Since there will be a diverse student population, bringing in literature from all cultures is important, so students can identify with someone who shares the same experiences as them. Obviously, Hispanic literature fits into this type of classroom. Tackling the issues of adolescence can be done through the writings of Hispanic authors as well as American writers. For example, using vignettes from The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros could address both tolerance and the issues of adolescence. Even though there are a few vignettes in Cisneros’ novel that I may be advanced for middle school, the majority of the vignettes from the novel are applicable to the middle school audience.
Example: “Those who don’t� from The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
"Those who don’t know any better come into our neighborhood scared. They think we’re dangerous. They think we will attack them with shiny knives. They are stupid people who are lost and got here by mistake.
But we aren’t afraid. We know the guy with the crooked eye is Davey the Baby’s brother, and the tall one next to him in the straw brim, that’s Rosa’s Eddie V., and the big one that looks like a dumb grown man, he’s Fat Boy, though he’s not fat anymore nor a boy.
All brown all around, we are safe. But watch us drive into a neighborhood of another color and our knees go shakity-shake and our car windows get rolled up tight and our eyes look straight. Yeah. That is how it goes and goes." (33-34)
A vignette, like the one above, can open up a conversation on any topic. The above vignette would be an excellent introduction into the topic of prejudice and racism. While reading the exert, it is nearly impossible to distinguish that it is “Hispanic� literature which makes it all the more powerful. The feelings and ideas expressed are universal.
Using this specific section of The House on Mango Street, a teacher could work on cross curriculum teaching. In the English classroom, reflective journaling and in-class discussion would benefit students. Since the topics Cisneros raises are universal, the discussion could branch out into a broader view of racism. In the social studies classroom, it would be a great time to begin talking about civil rights issues, or discuss current events involving racism and prejudice in the United States. Additionally, in a foreign language classroom, the issues of tolerance could be taught through mini-lessons on the histories and struggles of different countries (specifically Latin America and the Caribbean).
As I mentioned earlier, this is the developmental time period where students question who they are. Their identities are in constant flux and nothing is permanent. Hispanic literature refers to issues of identity in many instances and would be a good connection for students (see Identity entry).