For the first installment of Illinois State University’s [ISU] 2024 Hispanic Heritage Month Conversando Entre Nosotros series, Ph.D. candidate Edcel Cintron-Gonzalez will share how the Latino identity and mental health intersect in child and adolescent literature. It will take place Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 4 p.m. in room 314 of Williams Hall.
In the “conversation between us,” Cintron-Gonzalez said he’ll discuss how “Latinx” authors who share mental health journeys through graphic novels can encourage others to do the same. (Latinx is a gender-neutral term some use to describe people of Latin American origin or descent).
“Because a lot of the picture books, they dedicate resources for both children and parents to read about certain mental health issues,” he said. “They advocate the importance of going to therapy… They're creating the conversations to stop the stigma and make it more safe — as in a safe space — to talk about these issues and to normalize it.”
He referred to the reciprocal process as a “sliding glass door,” in which literature serves as a “gateway for people.” The idea stems from Rudine Sims Bishop’s 1990s theory that literature often reflects a reader’s experience. Cintron-Gonzalez learned about Bishop and many other concepts he’ll be sharing through research for his thesis, which is on the same topic as the discussion: Latino mental health in youth literature.
Mental health is also a journey Cintron-Gonzalez is on right now. He pointed out that he had childhood trauma from surviving Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico in 2017.
“There's no words to describe how difficult and challenging it was… spending months without electricity, water and basic necessities,” he said.
Literature about the hurricane and its aftermath is a major focus of Cintron-Gonzalez’s work. Although the graphic novels he will focus on at the event pull from other parts of the Latino identity, including generational trauma, migratory grief and colorism. One of the books he’ll mention is Frizzy, by Claribel A. Ortega, in which the main character Marlene learns to embrace her natural hair.
“When I first read Frizzy, the first thing I thought to myself is, ‘I wish my mom had this graphic novel when she was young,’” Cintron-Gonzalez said. “Maybe that would have made a good impact in her life and perspective.”
In this way, Cintron-Gonzalez said “youth” literature is really for everyone. He said he expects adults, adolescents and children alike can take something away from his presentation and the literature itself.
He added that people across Bloomington-Normal can benefit.
“Mental health in general is a very important topic to talk about in all facets, regardless if you're inside or outside of the culture, regardless where you're from,” he said. “Because in one way or another, we can feel empathy hearing other people's stories.”
