Families Read Rainbow Weaver at Langdon ES during Teach Central America Week

On the morning of Wednesday, October 9, 2019, family members of students at Langdon Elementary School in Northeast Washington, D.C. gathered to read a book to the second grade classes. Some of the family members had read to students before as part of Teaching for Change’s Roving Readers program.

On this day, as part of Teach Central America Week and to honor Latinx Heritage Month, families read Rainbow Weaver by Linda Elovitz Marshall. Rainbow Weaver is the story of Ixchel, a Mayan girl from Guatemala who finds a creative way to practice the Mayan tradition of weaving by using discarded plastic bags from around her village.

Magaly Lara, a new Langdon parent, is from Guatemala and was excited to read a book about a girl from her country. Lara brought in a “huipil” and some other woven fabrics that were made by Guatemalan weavers for the students to see. Her son, who is a student in one of the second grade classes, proudly wore a woven scarf for the occasion. Lara read Rainbow Weaver in Spanish while the other parents read in English. When the teacher announced that parents would be reading in both Spanish and English, a Salvadoran second grade student in Gabrielle Betances’ class jumped up and exclaimed, “Yesss!”

Michelle Jordan, the grandmother of another second grade student, is a former teacher and arrived prepared with all the materials needed to facilitate a weaving activity. She had prepared cut up slips of colorful construction paper so the students could practice the “over and under” technique described in the book and create their own woven “fabric.” She also helped students identify where Guatemala is on the map in relation to Washington, D.C. Ms. Lara pointed out that Guatemala is in a region called Central America, between North America and South America.

Students shared many reflections after parents had finished reading the book. A few students shared examples of when they had recycled something old and repurposed it, such as using an old jar as a water cup. Others shared some of the cultural traditions they practice in their homes. One student talked about going to a festival in D.C. where vendors were selling woven fabrics similar to the ones described in the book.

The few Latinx students in the classes beamed with pride as their fellow students recognized their ability to speak two languages, and their connections to other countries. In Mr. Norris’ class, a parent asked the students if anyone knew where Guatemala was on the map. All the students in the class excitedly turned and pointed to Ms. Lara’s son for the answer. Her son threw his hands up wide and smiled, as if to proudly say, “Yes, I am the one kid in class who knows about this.”

It was abundantly clear that all of the Central American students in both classes, even those that weren’t from Guatemala, were deeply appreciative of the opportunity to highlight their native language and cultural traditions. It was also a culturally enriching experience for the rest of the students to learn about a part of the world that they might not have been familiar with and to deepen their connection to their Latinx classmates.

Towards the end of the session, Talia Brock, Parent Organizer with Teaching for Change knelt down next to two students to help them with their weaving activity. A Latinx student turned to her and said, “You speak Spanish.” Ms. Brock smiled and said, “I do!” The other student excitedly pointed to the Latinx student and said, “She speaks Spanish too!” The Latinx student smiled and told Ms. Brock, “I do…I’m from El Salvador.” 

Also see The Search for More Complex Racial and Ethnic Representation in Grade School Books on Edtrust.org, which places Rainbow Weaver in the “limited” category for books where certain groups “are stereotyped, are negatively described, or are shown as less valuable than others.” In particular, EdTrust describes Rainbow Weaver as follows: “A detailed description of the multigenerational practice of weaving is enriched by Spanish translation but situated in a 'treasure from trash' storyline, where the value of weaving depends on the interests of white tourists” (page 24 in their full report).