In My Family/ En Mi Familia
Wednesday, August 19th, 2009
This past weekend, while visiting some friends in Texas, I had the pleasure of visiting the Austin Children’s Museum, whose permanent exhibits include En Mi Família/In My Family, based on artist Carmen Lomas Garza‘s work. In celebration of all families, the exhibit includes scenes and personal narratives from her books Family Pictures/Cuadros de Familia and In My Family/En Mi Familia (Children’s Book Press)—both touchstones of Latino children’s literature now—based on her memories and experiences growing up in South Texas, near the Mexican border.
The hands-on exhibit showcasing aspects of Carmen’s family life includes bedroom, kitchen, backyard and garden scenes, where children and adults can engage in assembling pretend tamales, working on a papel picado puzzles, making music, preparing a piñata for a birthday party, and more. Kids even get to sit on a special chair and make a wish under a starry sky—like Carmen herself did as child, when she wished to become an artist.
Very proud of and committed to promoting awareness of her Mexican American culture, Carmen Lomas Garza’s family-inspired work have won her all the major children’s book awards, including the Tomás Rivera, the Pura Belpré and the Américas. Entering her rich and fascinating world, whether through her books or through this lovely exhibit, we see exactly why.
Before leaving the exhibit, I made my own wish: that my daughter will grow up to be just as proud of her own heritage.
