MEXICAN, CENTRAL AMERICAN, and CARRIBEAN LITERATURE

INTRODUCTION

Central American and Caribbean Literature offers the secondary teacher a guide to the study of literature from the Spanish-speaking world.  The names of the books listed in the bibliographic section were provided, in part, by students in my world literature classes (2001-2002).  It  represents literature from every country in Central America and selected islands of the Caribbean.  Wherever possible, I chose indigenous authors.  Most of their books are written as young adult literature; others have themes that involve youth.  All of them deal with the human experience, reflecting the notion that no matter what part of the world a person comes from, issues of love, happiness, coming of age, and finding our place in society, remain the same.  Culture dictates how one deals with these issues.

Two of the books included on the list that were key to my understanding of Central America and the Caribbean were The Revolutions in Spanish America (The Independence Movements of 1808-1825) by Albert Prago and This is Cuba: An Outlaw Culture Survives by Ben Corbett.  More advanced readers of Spanish might also want to find and read the Central American Declaration of Independence, written by Jose Celilio Del Valle on September 15, 1821.  Born in Honduras, Del Valle later became leader of Guatemala and was subsequently imprisoned.  In 1923, he was elected vice president of the Central American Confederation, but refused to serve.

Prago, the author of the first book mentioned, gives the reader a very rich nonfiction source about how Spain had lost all her American possessions, except Cuba and Puerto Rico by 1825.  He re-creates the turbulent period in which there were uprisings in Mexico and South America in language young people will find easy to understand.  In addition, Prago’s book provides a bibliography in English about Latin America and Mexico.  The Revolutions in Spanish America also provides a glossary of Spanish political terms that the reader will come across over and over again as he or she explores Spanish culture.

Corbett, an American journalist, gives a fairly objective verbal pictures of Cuba.  It’s the island Americans hate to love, and that fact is pretty much indicated.  Also nonfiction, This is Cuba: An Outlaw Culture Survives is insightful, comfortable reading.  Corbett has a breezy, first person style that is engaging and sure to draw interest from high school readers.  For a modern perspective of Cuba, they will likely be attracted to the chapters: “Vive Buena Vista” (Ibrahim Ferrer and the Buena Vista Social Club), “The Cuban Survival Kit,” and “Paradise Crumbling.”

Most of the suggested films can be found in Teacher’s Discovery magazine for foreign language teachers.  Others may be found at local video stores.  Fidel: The Untold Story is an independent film and distributed through First Run Icarus Films in New York or Florida.

Teachers may want to prepare themselves for this unit by reading The Cultures of the Hispanic Caribbean (University of Florida Press).  Too advanced for high school students, it is an anthology of research on the Spanish-speaking islands of the Caribbean.  The hard-to-find or  or out-of-print books can sometimes be found in college or university libraries.

Central American and Caribbean Literature is cross referenced for a broader perspective of the region.  It begins with a geographic book list, continues with lesson plans for individual books, and concludes with an appendix of flags and maps of each country.  A chart to help students organize the information is provided at the end.  It has taken me two years to read all the books included here, but it has been well-worth the time.  While the list is by no means conclusive, it can provide a solid foundation for further study of the region.