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Legal & Employment Guidance

The second Trump Administration will have a large impact on immigration policies affecting students, schools, and communities. Here's what you need to know to prepare.

Immigration and the demonizing of immigrants was central to President Trump's 2024 election campaign and since his re-election, he and his staff have consistently signaled an intent to engage not only in aggressive immigration enforcement but also to reshape the nation's immigration laws starting on January 20, 2025, the day he officially takes office. The proposals include promises to carry out the largest deportation program in American history and attempting to end birthright citizenship.

Educators, students, and families are understandably concerned about the safety of their families and communities. Unauthorized immigrants live in 6.3 million households that include more than 22 million people, this includes 4.4 million U.S.-born children who live with an unauthorized immigrant parent. If implemented as promised, Trump's policies will lead to fear and upheaval, mass panic in immigrant communities, and will predictably harm school environments including by causing increased absences, decreased student achievement, and parental disengagement.

While many of Trump's proposed immigration actions will face legal challenges, it is imperative for our leaders and members to be aware and prepared regarding the impact that immigration issues can have on schools and our communities. To that end, the following guidance lays out information regarding immigration and schools , including information around enrollment issues, Plyler v. Doe , and Safe Zones resolutions , how educators can safely engage in immigration advocacy , a FAQ around , a Know Your Rights guide around immigration enforcement, and an update on the DACA program .

NEA strongly encourages schools and school districts to adopt a Safe Zones policy that outlines what educators, and staff should do if ICE attempts to engage in immigration enforcement at schools. Hundreds of school districts around the country already have adopted a Safe Zones policy . The appendix at the end contains a model Safe Zones resolution, a model district policy and an FAQ on such policies for your use (Appendix A). If your school district has not yet adopted such a policy, we encourage you to take proactive action to ensure your schools are safe for all students.

This guidance and all attachments may be shared widely with educators, member leaders, and activists.

Contents
Immigration & Schools 101
Immigration Enforcement at Schools - The Importance of Safe Zone Policies
How Educators Can Safely Engage in Immigration Advocacy
Mass Raids FAQ
Know Your Rights: Immigration Enforcement
DACA Update
Sample Safe Zone Resolution and Model Policy

All students have a right to enroll in public school, regardless of their immigration status .

Under the U.S. Constitution, public schools must teach all students free of charge, regardless of whether they are undocumented.

States cannot withhold state funding for K-12 education because undocumented students are enrolled, and school districts cannot deny enrollment based on immigration status.

Sometimes called a " right," the understanding that undocumented students may not be denied access to public education was first recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court in its decision in Plyler v. Doe (1982).

Students have the right to attend school without having to present a green card, visa, social security number, or any other proof of citizenship.

Schools should not inquire about students' or their parents' immigration status.

Schools cannot deny enrollment to students because they provide a birth certificate from another country.

Inquiring about immigration status or citizenship could violate rights by chilling undocumented students from attending schools.

Schools can require proof of residency in the appropriate school or district boundary.

A state or district may establish bona fide residency requirements and thus might require that all prospective students show some proof of residency.

Districts must permit parents to establish residency by providing a variety of documents as proof of residency and cannot require documents that would bar or chill undocumented students from attending.

Such documents include: a telephone or utility bill, mortgage or lease document, parent affidavit, rent payment receipts, a copy of a money order made for payment of rent, or a letter from one of the parent's employers. Schools cannot apply different residency requirements to immigrant students than they do to others.

Homeless students, as defined by the Federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 11301 et seq., must not be required to furnish proof of residency within the district under any circumstance. Homeless children and youth have a federal legal right to enroll in school, even if their families cannot produce the documents establishing residency.

Schools can require proof of age for enrollment.

Schools can use birth certificates to establish a student's age but cannot do so in a way that unlawfully bars or prevents an undocumented student, a student whose parents are undocumented, or a homeless student from enrolling in and attending school.

Schools should inform parents that alternatives to birth certificates are allowed, and allow alternative documentation of age such as a religious, hospital, or physician's certificate showing date of birth; an entry in a family bible; an adoption record; an affidavit from a parent; a foreign birth certificate; previously verified school records; or any other documents permitted by law. Foreign-born students must not be barred from attending school.

Since 2011, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has listed schools as "sensitive locations" where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests, interviews, or searches should not take place absent unusual circumstances. In 2021, the Biden administration issued a expanding the areas protected from enforcement beyond K-12 schools to pre-K through post-secondary schools, and places where children gather such as playgrounds, recreation centers, bus stops, childcare centers, and group homes for children.

Trump did not rescind the "sensitive locations" guidance during his first administration, but immigration enforcement occurred near schools and school bus stops, including when ICE officers detained a parent in Los Angeles as he left school after dropping off one of his children. Such enforcement would not be permitted under the expanded Biden "protected areas" guidance.

Project 2025 calls for rescinding the "protected areas" guidance and it remains to be seen whether the Trump Administration will withdraw this guidance.

Given the uncertainty about whether schools might be targeted, it is important to put protections in place at the local level that limit immigration enforcement at schools. Countless school districts around the country have already passed Safe Zones resolution s to do so. Such resolutions:

If your school district has not yet adopted a Safe Zones resolution or other policy for all school staff to follow if immigration officers show up at school, the following information describes what educators should do.

If immigration officers attempt to enter a school's campus, educators should direct ICE/CBP agents to the school district Superintendent. The Superintendent should request to see written legal authorization and verify the identity of the agents. It is important for the Superintendent to review, with legal counsel, what the immigration officer provides as such legal authorization. There is a distinction between an ICE administrative warrant and a traditional federal court warrant. School districts may respond differently depending on the type of warrant.

An ICE administrative "warrant" is the most typical type of "warrant" used by immigration officers. It authorizes an immigration officer to arrest a person suspected of violating immigration laws. It is not a warrant within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution because an ICE warrant is not supported by a showing of probable cause of a criminal offense and is not issued by a court judge or magistrate.
An ICE warrant does not grant an immigration officer any special power to compel school officials to cooperate and is not a "court order" that would, under FERPA, allow a school to disclose educational records without parent or guardian consent.

A federal or state court warrant is issued by a federal or state court judge. A school official should act in accordance with district policy when presented with a federal or state court warrant.

An administrative subpoena is a document that requests production of documents or other evidence and is issued by an immigration officer. School districts do not need to immediately comply with the ICE administrative subpoena. If an immigration officer arrives with an administrative subpoena, the school district may decline to produce the information sought and may choose to challenge the administrative subpoena before a judge.

Project 2025 proposes requiring public schools to charge tuition to certain immigrant children as a way of setting up a legal challenge to overturn Plyler v. Doe . still remains the law of the land and public schools cannot deny undocumented students access to public education including by charging tuition to immigrant students. To protect students and their rights, you can:

Work to pass state or local laws or policies such as Safe Zone resolutions (see above) that prohibit K-12 schools from collecting student immigration information.

Work with your State Attorney General and State Department of Education to issue guidance making clear that schools should not collect student immigration data.

Work with your State Attorney General and State Department of Education to issue guidance buttressing the right of all students to attend public school, regardless of immigration status, pursuant to Plyler v. Doe , your state constitution, and any applicable state laws.

Make sure your school district does not collect immigration status in any educational records.

If your school district begins collecting student immigration information or attempts to charge tuition to immigrant students, inform your state affiliate and NEA.

Under federal law, schools cannot turn over personally identifiable student records to police, federal agents, or immigration officials without the written consent of a parent or guardian, unless the information is requested through a subpoena or court order such as a judicial warrant.

Remember that both federal and state and in many places local law protects students from discrimination based on race, religion, or national origin. This means that:

Students cannot be discriminated against because of their birthplace, ancestry, culture or language.

Students have the right to be free from bullying and harassment based on their race, religion, or national origin, and have the right to learn in an environment free from hateful symbols and derogatory comments.

School officials have a legal duty to address hateful rhetoric and behavior.

Schools may not retaliate against anyone - staff or students - who make complaints about racial, religious, or national origin harassment.

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Here are some legal parameters for educators to consider in safely and effectively advocating for immigrant students' rights. A more in-depth discussion around educator advocacy rights at school and outside of school can be found in NEA's Educator Rights Guidance .

1. Your Protections Are Strongest When You Engage in Activism Outside of Work.

The First Amendment provides legal protection to educators when they are speaking as "citizens"- , outside of their role as district employees. Educators can engage in off-the-clock political and community action to advocate for immigrants and immigrant communities. Educators can, among other things, march, sign petitions, write letters, post statements of support on social media, and call and lobby their federal, state, and local legislators. They can work with NEA and our affiliates, as well as other advocacy groups, to advocate for change such as encouraging their school districts to pass resolutions.

Educators are most protected when they engage in political discussions or activism outside of work, provided it does not cause disruption at the school. If the activity creates a disruption to the educational environment, an educator may be disciplined. Even speech on social media and private blogs may be unprotected if it concerns the educator's official duties. For that reason, educators should focus such activity on advocacy for immigrant students and not disparage or insult students, parents, or co-workers.

2. Protections That Apply to Your Speech at Work are More Limited.

Generally speaking, the First Amendment will not protect you from discipline based on statements made in class, or to students during your usual work hours but outside of class. Tenured teachers are provided due process and should be protected when engaged in classroom discussions about immigration that are both age-appropriate and relevant to the coursework. In addition, some collective bargaining agreements may contain explicit protections for academic freedom, which may protect educators who discuss these issues in a manner that is both age-appropriate and relevant to the curriculum.

Still, tenure protections and academic freedom are not absolute, and teachers risk discipline for classroom discussions that administrators consider too controversial, not age appropriate, or too great a departure from established curricula. School districts may also have policies restricting educators' in-school activism and use of handouts. Educators should seek the school administration's approval of advocacy materials that they plan to distribute to students and their families.

3. Engaging in Protests at School Can Be Prohibited.

Educators have even more limited protection against discipline for activism at school including by way of encouraging students to engage in protests that involve civil disobedience or school disruption. Because educators are acting within the scope of their job duties while at school, the First Amendment may not apply when educators wear political buttons or other activist symbols, or urge students to participate in protests. Likewise, because many school districts have policies that explicitly prohibit employees from engaging in political activity during work time, violations of such a policy could qualify as insubordination that justifies discipline, even of a tenured educator. Similarly, students have a right to voice their opinions and engage in certain forms of school protest, but they can be disciplined if such activities become disruptive or disorderly.

4. What can faculty teaching in public higher education institutions do to advocate for immigrants?

Like public K-12 educators, faculty members at public colleges and universities can engage in off-the-clock political and community action. In addition, principles of academic freedom under the First Amendment give higher education faculty speech protections while engaged in core academic functions such as teaching and scholarship. Combined with widespread policies on academic freedom in faculty handbooks, collective bargaining agreements, and faculty contracts, faculty speech in the higher education workplace receives more protection than in the K-12 setting. However, faculty are not immune from discipline based upon their speech, and speech may lose First Amendment or institutional policy protection if it is not related to the academic subject or is unduly disruptive.

5. Congress Has Criminalized the Harboring of Undocumented Immigrants.

If you provide shelter to students or their families knowing that they are undocumented, you may face criminal consequences. Federal law prohibits a person from concealing, harboring, or shielding from detection someone who that person knows-or should know- to be undocumented. This crime is referred to as "harboring" undocumented immigrants. A conviction can result in up to five years in prison for each immigrant sheltered.

Harboring requires that the person charged must have intended both (a) to substantially help an undocumented person remain in the United States (such as by providing shelter, transportation, money, or other material assistance) (b) to help the individual avoid detection by immigration authorities. When the act of sheltering an undocumented person is done publicly- , a church offering sanctuary to immigrants in danger of deportation-such actions are grounds to infer an intent to evade immigration authorities and would thus support a charge of criminal harboring. Merely providing a place to stay for an undocumented person, however, should not constitute a criminal offense so long as the person providing shelter does not intend to help the undocumented individual evade immigration authorities.
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Trump's 2024 Presidential campaign was based on false, inflammatory rhetoric about immigrants. He has pledged to institute a program of mass deportation of millions of people, beginning on day one of his administration. Below are some frequently asked questions about what mass deportations and raids could mean and what educators can do to prepare for the possibility of mass raids.

Where might "mass raids" take place, geographically?
In the past, ICE has conducted raids all over the country - not just in places close to the border. Some of the largest raids have been in interior states like Tennessee.

Who is most likely to be targeted for deportation?

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has historically questioned a wide range of workers during an audit or raid, regardless of the initial scope of their investigation. We expect similar tactics to continue and even expand.

Some people believe that the Trump administration plans to deport only undocumented people who have committed serious crimes. But some Trump supporters regard all undocumented people as criminals - on the theory that they entered the United States illegally. In addition when mass raids occur, those with legal status in the U.S. may accidentally be swept up by immigration enforcement. Therefore, it is important for everyone to be vigilant.

The first Trump administration prioritized the following individuals for removal, but it is unclear whether similar priorities will guide the second Trump administration. Individuals who had been:

Convicted of any criminal offense;

Charged with any criminal offense, where such charge has not been resolved;

Or who have committed acts that constitute a chargeable criminal offense;

Have engaged in fraud or willful misrepresentation in connection with any official matter or application before a governmental agency;

Have abused any program related to receipt of public benefits;

Are subject to a final order of removal, but who have not complied with their legal obligation to depart the United States; or

In the judgment of an immigration officer, otherwise pose a risk to public safety or national security.

Is someone's family or home at risk during an ICE workplace operation or raid?

During a workplace raid or operation, ICE also may visit workers' homes, particularly of workers whose records are found at the company.

If ICE agents visit a worker's home, families are under no obligation to answer questions or even open the door unless the agents have a warrant signed by a federal or state court judge.

ICE is known to routinely question people who are present during operations-even if they have no relation to the investigation. If ICE can identify family members or other household members whom they deem a priority for deportation, those individuals also could be detained and taken into immigration custody, sometimes referred to as "collateral arrests."

What might occur during a mass raid?

Immigration raids can happen at any given time, but they rely heavily on an element of surprise.

Historically, raids most frequently have taken place at the individual's workplace or in or near their home.

Raids often take place during predawn or early morning hours.

ICE officers often appear in large numbers, may be visibly armed and may not be easily identifiable as ICE agents.

Other common features of these raids: an absence of a warrant from a state or federal court, and an agent giving false or misleading information to gain access to the home and to describe the nature and length of the arrest.

Could raids take place at schools?

Under current DHS policy, schools (including colleges, universities, and other institutions of learning) and other locations where children gather (such as daycares and playgrounds) are "protected areas," (previously referred to as "sensitive locations") generally protected from immigration enforcement.

There have been calls to withdraw the "protected areas" policy.

Even if the "protected areas" policy is withdrawn, it is unlikely there would be mass raids at schools due to the level of disruption that it would cause to all students and educators. But if the policy is withdrawn, we can expect increased immigration enforcement at or near schools.

How can schools help families prepare for the possibility of mass raids?

Partner with pro bono attorneys or immigrants' rights groups to host "know your rights" workshops for families and students

Distribute to help people assert their rights and defend themselves if ICE agents come to their home.
These cards are available in 16 different languages

The "Know Your Rights" section below can be shared with families.

Provide information about community resources

Compile a list of local nonprofit organizations that provide free legal support and other services to immigrants.

Gather the information for foreign consulates in your area.

Obtain the contact information for the local ICE detention center.

Encourage families to create emergency plans and help them do so.

A Family Preparedness Plan should include considerations such as

Who will take care of children (and/or the elderly) if one or more parents are detained?

Do you want to designate an official power of attorney?

Who will have access to the assets of anyone detained?

Do I know of any reliable immigration attorneys? If yes, keep their information close by.

Families should gather children's documents such as birth certificates, social security cards, medical records, and school records.

Make sure adults know their alien registration number also referred to as their "A-number."

What plans can schools have in place to prepare for raids that affect families?

Check frequently with families to ensure that contact information is up to date, since phone numbers and addresses could change multiple times during a school year.

Affirmatively request that parents list one or two local friends or family members who could receive ("check out") the child in the event of an ICE raid or other emergency.
After a raid, sometimes only people who are not listed on the child's school registration list may be available to pick them up.

Have a list of potential interpreters at the ready. After a raid, expect to be overwhelmed by the need for Spanish speakers to respond to questions and serve those attempting to get students checked out to responsible adults. A shortage of interpreters may be especially acute in more rural areas.

Set up a rapid-response network or become part of an existing one.

How can families find a loved one that is detained?

What can citizen bystanders do during an immigration raid?

Report the raid

Record the raid using pictures and video if possible.

Ahead of time, ensure that your device's audio and video are on and set up to share to the cloud.

Make sure to get the agents' badge numbers and try to get their name and agency as well.

Narrate the date, time, and location where the raid is occurring.

Important considerations for recording:

ICE agents are armed law enforcement officials who are first and foremost concerned for their own safety. Before taking out a recording device, it is best to assess the situation and determine whether taking a video could escalate the situation and endanger anyone present.

It is extremely important that if you choose to record, you must make it obvious that you are recording. Almost every state has laws against "secret" recordings. Do not cover up, hide or conceal your camera/phone.

Your right to record law enforcement usually comes with the qualification that you must not "interfere" as they are carrying out their "duties." This means you should stand several feet away from any law enforcement action taking place if you choose to record.

If ICE warns you and asks you to step back while videoing/photographing, it is best to follow directions, as they may confiscate your camera.

What are an employer's rights and responsibilities during a raid?

ICE Arrival

Employers should call their lawyer immediately when a raid begins.

Examine any search warrant and send a copy to your lawyer. Ensure the warrant is:

Signed by a federal or state court,

Served within the permitted time frame,

The search is within the scope of the warrant (the area to be searched and the items to be seized).

The employer can accept the warrant but not consent to the search. If you do not consent to the search, the search will proceed but you can later challenge it if there are grounds to do so.

Write down the name of the supervising ICE agent and the name of the U.S. Attorney assigned to the case.

Executing the Raid

Do not block or interfere with ICE activities or the agents. However, you do not have to give the agents access to non-public areas if they did not present a valid search warrant.

If agents presented a valid search warrant and want access to locked facilities, unlock them.

Object to a search outside the scope of the warrant. Do not engage in a debate or argument with the agent about the scope of the warrant. Simply present your objection to the agent and make note of it.

Have at least one company representative follow each agent around the facility. The employee may take notes or videotape the officer. Note any items seized and ask if copies can be made before they are taken. If ICE does not agree, you can obtain copies later.

Request reasonable accommodations as necessary. If agents insist on seizing something that is vital to your operation, explain why it is vital and ask for permission to photocopy it before the original is seized. Reasonable requests are usually granted.

Protect privileged materials.

If agents wish to examine documents designated as attorney-client privileged material (such as letters or memoranda to or from counsel), tell them they are privileged and request that attorney-client documents not be inspected by the agents until you are able to speak to your attorney.

If agents insist on seizing such documents, you cannot prevent them from doing so. If such documents are seized, try to record in your notes exactly which documents were taken by the agents.

Ask for a copy of the list of items seized during the search. The agents are required to provide this inventory to you.

Employee Interactions with ICE

You may inform employees that they may choose whether or not to talk with ICE, but do not direct them to refuse to speak to agents when questioned.

Ask if your employees are free to leave. If they are not free to leave, they have a right to an attorney. Though you should not instruct your employees to refuse to speak to ICE, they also have the right to remain silent and do not need to answer any questions.

Do not hide employees or assist them in leaving the premises.

Do not provide false or misleading information, falsely deny the presence of named employees, or shred documents.

Don't forget the health and welfare of your employees. Enforcement actions can sometimes last for hours. If an employee requires medication or medical attention or if employees have children who need to be picked up from school, communicate these concerns to the ICE officers.

Company representatives should not give any statements to ICE agents or allow themselves to be interrogated before consulting with an attorney.

What are some other immigration and refugee hotlines that may be of use?

National Immigration Detention Hotline: 1-209-757-3733 (open Monday through Friday 12pm to 8pm PST) or for more information on the hotline you can also go to: https://www.freedomforimmigrants.org/hotline

United We Dream. To report a raid call 1-844-363-1423. Or send a text message to 877877. If possible, take photos and videos, and notes.

National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) hotline: 1-844-500-3222

Tahirih's Afghan Asylum Line 1-888-991-0852 Open Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. EST.

LGBTQ Immigrant Hotlines

For more information about an individual's rights during a raid, see the Know Your Rights: Immigration Enforcement section below.

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You have the right to remain silent. You may refuse to speak to immigration officers.

Don't answer any questions. You may also say that you want to remain silent.

Don't say anything about where you were born or how you entered the U.S.

Anything you say can be used against you in removal proceedings. If you do decide to speak to officers, do not lie.

If you chose to speak, do not lie.

If you are in police custody or detention, do not discuss your immigration information with ANYONE other than your attorney.

Do not open your door.

If officers are at your door, keep the door closed and ask if they are immigration agents or from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Ask the agents why they are there.

It is safer to speak to ICE through the door.

If the agents don't speak your language, ask for an interpreter.

ICE must have a warrant signed by a judge to be allowed to enter your home. They rarely have one.

Do not open your door unless an ICE agent shows you a warrant signed by a judge.

You can ask the ICE agent to hold the warrant against a window or slide it under the door.

In order to enter your home, the warrant must be a valid arrest or search warrant signed by a judge. To be enough to enter your house, the warrant must contain the following:

In all other cases, keep the door closed and say, "I do not consent to your entry."

An administrative warrant of removal or deportation signed by DHS or ICE officials does not allow ICE to enter your home.

If you open the door, officials will consider that you are giving them permission to enter. Once they are inside, an ICE officer will likely ask for documents of everyone inside.

Even if immigration agents have a valid warrant that does not mean you have to answer their questions. If immigration agents are questioning you and you wish to remain silent, you should say aloud that you wish to remain silent or show the agents your Know Your Rights card .

If officers enter (with or without a valid warrant), say that you do not consent.

If you are approached by authorities in a public place/on the street:

Do not run. Running could be used against you.

Before saying anything (including your name) ask, "Am I free to go?"

If yes, walk away slowly. If no , do not walk away.

If you are searched, stay calm and say, "I do not consent to this search."

If authorities pull you over in the car:

If you are arrested or detained, do not physically resist or fight back. Do not lie or show false documents.

You have the right to speak to a lawyer.

Do not sign anything without speaking to a lawyer.

You can refuse to sign any document. ICE may try to get you to sign away your right to see a lawyer or judge. Make sure you understand what a document actually says before you sign it.

Do not rely on what ICE officers are telling you about what the document says.

If you have a lawyer, you can ask for your lawyer to be present before signing any document. You always have the right to understand what you are signing .

Always carry with you any valid immigration documents you have.

For example, a valid work permit, a DACA authorization, or green card.

Do not carry false documents or papers from another country with you, like a foreign passport. They could be used against you in the deportation process.

Have an Emergency Plan.

Memorize the phone number of a friend, family member, or attorney to call if you are arrested.

Identify an attorney. Find out the name of a reliable immigration attorney ahead of time and keep their information with you at all times.

Create a list of your medications and your family members' medications.

Prepare a safe place at home where you keep important papers and contact information such as birth certificates and immigration documents and make sure that the person you have selected to take care of your family knows where that place is.

If you need a lawyer:

Report Raids

Additional Resources

The ICE detainee locator ( https://locator.ice.gov/odls/#/search ) can help people determine if their family member has been detained and where the family member is being held. In using the ICE detainee locator, it is helpful to know the family member's date of birth and 'A-Number' (Alien Registration Number), if there is one. The ICE detainee locator is intended only for locating individuals who are already detained.
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Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) allows young immigrants who grew up in the U.S. to seek temporary protection from deportation and to have the ability to work. There are approximately 579,000 active DACA holders. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals is currently reviewing the legality of the DACA program. Oral arguments occurred in October 2024 and we are currently awaiting a decision from the court, which could come at any time and almost certainly will be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. At present, current DACA recipients keep their deferred action status and work permits until they expire and current DACA recipients are able to renew their DACA permits.

Employers can ask for an updated DACA permit if the expiration date is approaching or there is some reason to believe the employee has become undocumented and may terminate an individual's employment absent DACA or some other legally recognized immigration status. An employer should only ask you for your work authorization once they offer you a job, not before.

If you have never had DACA before, you may not submit an application for DACA now. Only people who now have or have previously had DACA can submit an application to renew their DACA.

DACA renewals continue to be accepted and processed and DACA recipients should continue to renew their permits. DACA recipients may qualify for another immigration benefit that could lead to permanent residence and not know it. Please consult with legal counsel to discuss potential options that may be available.
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It is the right of every child, regardless of immigration status, to access a free public K-12 education.

When federal immigration authorities aggressively pursue enforcement activities on or around school property and transportation routes - whether by surveillance, interviews, demands for information, arrest, detention, or any other means - it harmfully disrupts the learning environment and significantly interferes with the ability of all students, including U.S. citizen students and immigrant students legally in the country, to access a free public K-12 education.

NEA has developed sample resolution and district policy that can be used as a template or guidance for local school districts to create their own Safe Zones resolutions. The language is closely tied to the Supreme Court case Plyler v. Doe which is the foundational precedent that ensures access to K-12 education for all children regardless of immigration statust . The model resolution contains reassurances for students, procedures for law enforcement, and information and support for families and staff.

What can we do to address student fear about immigration enforcement under the new Administration?

Join with your local NEA association to lobby your local school board for a SAFE ZONE resolution. It contains reassurances for students, procedures for responding to law enforcement, and information and support for families and staff. Countless school districts across the country have already passed SAFE ZONE resolutions. These districts include large urban districts like Los Angeles , to small rural districts in Colorado and New Hampshire, and everywhere in between, such as Omaha, Nebraska, and Louisville, Kentucky.

What needs to take place in order for our district to become a SAFE ZONE?

Your school board can take up a proposed resolution like the one attached here at its next regularly scheduled meeting. Supply your school board with sample language and be sure to comply with the board's meeting notice requirements. Through the board's normal governance procedure, it can approve and sign a SAFE ZONE resolution, including a policy that would then take effect immediately.

Does a SAFE ZONE resolution require additional district expenditures, staff responsibilities, school hours, or other resources?

No, unless you wish to add support beyond NEA's template, such as adding a counselor for extra support for immigrant students who are in crisis. The template SAFE ZONE resolution reaffirms and clarifies the constitutional right all students have, regardless of immigration status, to access a free public K-12 education. The district administration will need to take steps to ensure the resolution's requirements are being fulfilled as outlined in the district policy attached to the NEA template SAFE ZONE board resolution, but it does not add new or different job duties or hours for educators.

Can I discuss immigration enforcement and student fears in my classroom?

Yes, if your school board passes a SAFE ZONE resolution that provides for such discussion, the discussion is age appropriate and mandatory curricular subjects are also covered in a timely way. The productivity of the learning environment improves when pressing concerns of students can be addressed. In the absence of a SAFE ZONE resolution, NEA recommends you follow existing district rules on classroom teaching.

Can I refuse directives from law enforcement?

No, a SAFE ZONE resolution does not provide immunity should you decline to obey directives from law enforcement. The resolution does provide steps you must request that law enforcement follow. If law enforcement refuses to cooperate, that becomes a matter for the district legal counsel and courts to determine. You are not expected to put yourself or those around you at risk to assert these rights.

Does the model SAFE ZONE resolution protect non-citizen students from the school-to-prison-to-deportation pipeline?

No, SAFE ZONE policies like the one attached here are aimed at protecting students' rights at school but do not address disciplinary practices that criminalize misbehavior through the involvement of law enforcement. In the case of non-citizen youth, law enforcement actions can result in barriers to obtaining or maintaining legal

immigration status as well as possible detention and deportation. For information regarding the harmful immigration consequences for non-citizen youth of the school-to-prison pipeline, .

WHEREAS, it is the right of every child, regardless of immigration status, to access a free public K-12 education and the District welcomes and supports all students;

WHEREAS, through its policies and practices, the District has made a commitment to a quality education for all students, which includes a safe and stable learning environment, means of transportation to and from school sites, the preservation of classroom hours for educational instruction, and the requirement of school attendance;

WHEREAS, parents and students have expressed to the District fear and confusion about the continued physical and emotional safety of all students and the right to access a free public K-12 education through District schools and programs;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board declares the District to be a Safe Zone for its students, meaning that the District is a place for students to learn, to thrive and to seek assistance, information, and support related to any immigration law enforcement that interferes with their learning experience;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Superintendent shall report back on compliance with this Resolution to the Board at its next meeting;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED , after-school providers and other vendors and service providers who contract with the District shall be notified of this Resolution within 30 days and required to abide by it.

[FOLLOWED BY SCHOOL BOARD SIGNATURE PAGE]

District Policy No. _________________________
Access to Education, Student Privacy, and Immigration Enforcement

School personnel must not allow any third party access to a school site without permission of the site administrator. The site administrator shall not permit third party access to the school site that would cause disruption to the learning environment.

The School Board, in Resolution No. ________, based on its educational experience and as part of its deliberative process as our governing body, has found that access to a school site by immigration law enforcement agents substantially disrupts the learning environment and any such request for access should be referred to the Superintendent's Office immediately.

School personnel must contact the Superintendent's Office immediately if approached by immigration law enforcement agents. Personnel must also attempt to contact the parents or guardians of any students involved.

The Superintendent's Office must process requests by immigration law enforcement agents to enter a school site or as follows: obtain student data

Request identification from the officers or agents and photocopy it;

Request a judicial warrant and photocopy it;
If no warrant is presented, request the grounds for access, make notes, and contact legal counsel for the District ;

Request and retain notes of the names of the students and the reasons for the request;

If school site personnel have not yet contacted the students' parents or guardians, do so;

Do not attempt to provide your own information or conjecture about the students, such as their schedule, for example, without legal counsel present;

Provide the agents with a copy of this Policy and Resolution No. __________;

Request the agents' contact information; and

Advise the agents you are required to complete these steps prior to allowing them access to any school site or student data.
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The second Trump Administration will have a large impact on immigration policies affecting students, schools, and communities. Here's what you need to know to prepare.

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December 2025 Calendar (With Holidays) - Calendarr

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December 2025 Calendar with Holidays and Celebrations of the United States.

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November 2025 Calendar with Holidays and Celebrations of the United States.

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January 2025 Calendar with Holidays and Celebrations of the United States.

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Step by Step Guide to Immigration on Site

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Red Cards / Tarjetas Rojas | Immigrant Legal Resource Center | ILRC

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All people in the United States, regardless of immigration status, have certain rights and protections under the U.S. Constitution. The ILRC’s Red Cards help people assert their rights and defend themselves in many situations, such as when ICE agents go to a home. Special thanks to our many partners who contributed translations in the various languages now available, making these red cards accessible to more individuals.

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Teaching for Change carefully selects the best multicultural and social justice books for children, young adults, and educators.

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Forget Newton. You want to know who made revolutionary discoveries and advanced numerous concepts that we know today?

We all know of how Columbus explored the Americas (killing thousands of natives in the process, but that's another story), of how Newton discovered gravity as an apple...

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10 Inventions by Arab Inventors We Were Never Taught About

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We all know of how Columbus explored the Americas (killing thousands of natives in the process, but that's another story), of how Newton discovered gravity as an apple...

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Who is an Arab?

"Arab" is a cultural and linguistic term. It refers to those who speak Arabic as their first language. Arabs are united by culture and by history. Arabs are not a race. Some have blue eyes and red hair; others are dark skinned; most are somewhere in between. Most Arabs are Muslims but there are also millions of Christian Arabs and thousands of Jewish Arabs, just as there are Muslim, Christian, and Jewish Americans.

What is the Arab World?

The Arab World consists of 22 countries in the Middle East and North Africa: Algeria, Bahrain, the Comoros Islands, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Iran and Turkey are not Arab countries and their primary languages are Farsi and Turkish respectively. Arab countries have a rich diversity of ethnic, linguistic, and religious communities. These include Kurds, Armenians, Berbers and others. There are over 200 million Arabs.

What is the Muslim World?

There are an estimated 1.2 billion Muslims in the world. The Organization of Islamic Countries has 55 member states. The ten countries with the largest Muslim population are: Indonesia (170.3 million), Pakistan (136 million), Bangladesh (106 million), India (103 million), Turkey (62.4 million), Iran (60.7 million), Egypt (53.7 million), Nigeria (47.7 million), and China (37.1 million). Of these countries only Egypt is an Arab country. Most Arabs are Muslims, but most Muslims are not Arabs.

Who is a Muslim?

A Muslim is a follower of Islam. [See article on this page. The American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee also has an information sheet on Islam.]

What is the Middle East?

The Middle East is a loose term, not always used to describe the same territory. It usually includes the Arab countries from Egypt east to the Persian Gulf, plus Israel and Iran. Turkey is sometimes considered part of the Middle East, sometimes part of Europe. Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh are usually described as South Asia.

Who are Arab Americans?

Arab Americans are Americans of Arab descent. There are Americans with roots in each Arab country, but most originate from Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine. There are also substantial communities from Egypt, Yemen and Iraq. The first immigrants arrived in the late 19th century. A second wave of immigration started after World War II, and still continues. The largest communities live in the Detroit area.

Marvin Windfield is director of education and outreach at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC). For more resources, go to www.adc.org. Reprinted with permission.
This article is also available as a letter-size PDF for student handouts
Winter 2001 / 2002

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"Arab" is a cultural and linguistic term. It refers to those who speak Arabic as their first language. Arabs are united by culture and by history. Arabs are not a race. Some have blue eyes and red hair; others are dark skinned; most are somewhere in between.

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What Is Intersectionality? | Queer 101 | The Advocate

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A Woman's Perspective on Intersectionality

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A Woman's Perspective on Intersectionality

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From the disparate impacts of the COVID-19 crisis in communities around the globe to international protests against racism and discrimination, current events have shown that we are far from achieving equality. Trying to interpret and battle a multitude of injustices right now may feel overwhelming. How do we take on all these issues, and why should we? Intersectional feminism offers a lens through which we can better understand one another and strive towards a more just future for all.

Kimberlé Crenshaw, an American law professor who coined the term in 1989 explained Intersectional feminism as, "a prism for seeing the way in which various forms of inequality often operate together and exacerbate each other," in a recent interview with Time.

"All inequality is not created equal," she says. An intersectional approach shows the way that people's social identities can overlap, creating compounding experiences of discrimination.

"We tend to talk about race inequality as separate from inequality based on gender, class, sexuality or immigrant status. What's often missing is how some people are subject to all of these, and the experience is not just the sum of its parts," Crenshaw said.

Intersectional feminism centres the voices of those experiencing overlapping, concurrent forms of oppression in order to understand the depths of the inequalities and the relationships among them in any given context.

In Brazil, Valdecir Nascimento, a prominent women's rights activist, says that, "The dialogue to advance black women's rights should put them in the centre." For 40 years, Nascimento has been fighting for equal rights, "Black women from Brazil have never stopped fighting," she says, noting that black women were part of the feminist movement, the black movement, and other progressive movements. "We don't want others to speak for black feminists-neither white feminists nor black men. It's necessary for young black women to take on this fight. We are the solution in Brazil, not the problem," she says.

Using an intersectional lens also means recognizing the historical contexts surrounding an issue. Long histories of violence and systematic discrimination have created deep inequities that disadvantage some from the outset. These inequalities intersect with each other, for example, poverty, caste systems, racism and sexism, denying people their rights and equal opportunities. The impacts extend across generations.

Sonia Maribel Sontay Herrera is an indigenous woman and human rights defender from Guatemala where systematic discrimination against indigenous women has gone on for decades. Herrera has felt the consequences of these historical injustices since she was a girl.

At ten years old, she moved to a city to attend school, an opportunity most indigenous girls don't get, she says. However, Herrera was forced to abandon her native language, K'iche', and learn in Spanish, which she experienced as an unjust burden for an indigenous woman, since it was the language of the colonizer. After finishing her studies, as Herrera searched for professional work, she immediately encountered racism and sexist stereotypes. Since she was an indigenous woman, some said that they only had work for her in the home.

"They see us as domestic workers; when they see an indigenous woman, they assume that's all we can do," she explains, outlining the ways in which she experiences compounding forms of discrimination based on her identity.

"Those who are most impacted by gender-based violence, and by gender inequalities, are also the most impoverished and marginalized-black and brown women, indigenous women, women in rural areas, young girls, girls living with disabilities, trans youth and gender non-conforming youth," explains Majandra Rodriguez Acha, a youth leader and climate justice advocate from Lima, Peru. That marginalized communities are the most impacted by natural disasters and the devastating effects of climate change is not a mere coincidence, she stresses.

While issues ranging from discrimination based on gender identity to disparate environmental burdens may seem separate at first, intersectional feminism illuminates the connections between all fights for justice and liberation. It shows us that fighting for equality means not only turning the tables on gender injustices, but rooting out all forms of oppression. It serves as a framework through which to build inclusive, robust movements that work to solve overlapping forms of discrimination, simultaneously.

As concurrent, ongoing crises unfold across the globe today, we can use an intersectional feminist lens to understand their linkages and build back better.

Intersectional feminism matters today because:

The impacts of crises are not uniform.

Countries and communities around the world are facing multiple, compounding threats. While the sets of issues vary from place to place, they share the effect of magnifying pre-existing needs such as housing, food, education, care, employment, and protection.

Yet crises responses often fail to protect the most vulnerable. "If you are invisible in everyday life, your needs will not be thought of, let alone addressed, in a crisis situation," says Matcha Phorn-In, a lesbian feminist human-rights defender from Thailand who works to address the unique needs of LGBTIQ+ people, many of whom are indigenous, in crisis settings.

In the context of the coronavirus pandemic, the challenges of the virus have exacerbated long standing inequities and decades of discriminatory practices, leading to unequal trajectories.

Rather than fragmenting our fights, taking on board the experiences and challenges faced by different groups has a unifying effect; we are better able to understand the issues at hand and, therefore, find solutions that work for all.

Injustices must not go unnamed or unchallenged.

Looking through an intersectional feminist lens, we see how different communities are battling various, interconnected issues, all at once. Standing in solidarity with one another, questioning power structures, and speaking out against the root causes of inequalities are critical actions for building a future that leaves no one behind.

"If you see inequality as a "them" problem or "unfortunate other" problem, that is a problem," says Crenshaw. "We've got to be open to looking at all of the ways our systems reproduce these inequalities, and that includes the privileges as well as the harms."

A new 'normal' must be fair for all.

Because crises lay bare the structural inequalities that shape our lives, they are also moments of big resets - catalysts for rebuilding societies that offer justice and safety to everyone. They provide a chance to redefine 'normal' rather than return to business as usual.

Taking an intersectional feminist approach to the crises of today helps us seize the opportunity to build back better, stronger, resilient, and equal societies.

"COVID-19 has presented us... with a rare opportunity," says Silliniu Lina Chang, President of the Samoa Victim Support Group, who has been advocating for improved services for victims of domestic violence during the pandemic. "[It is] a time for all of us to reset. Think outside of our comfort zone and look beyond to the neighbour that is in need."

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explainer-intersectional feminism-what it means and why it matters

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Intersectional feminism: what it means and why it matters right now

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From the disparate impacts of the COVID-19 crisis in communities around the globe to international protests against racism and discrimination, current events have shown that we are far from achieving equality. Trying to interpret and battle a multitude of injustices right now may feel overwhelming.

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She Coined the Term ‘Intersectionality’ Over 30 Years Ago. Here’s What It Means to Her Today

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Kimberlé Crenshaw on why all inequality is not created equal

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Following my lists of Best Multicultural Picture Books of 2016 and Best Multicultural Middle Grade Novels of 2016, I am finishing this mini-series with a list of this year's best multicultural young adult novels.

My personal favourites are Kids of Appetite and The Sun Is Also A Star. Which ones are yours?

The 10 Best Multicultural Young Adult Novels of 2016

One of the most exciting new YA releases of 2016, The Sun Is Also A Star became an instant New York Times bestseller and will be made into a movie. Natasha's family is about to be deported to Jamaica. On her last day in New York City she meets Asian American Daniel, the good son and good student. Told in alternating voices, this is a moving and hopeful story about identity, family, and the possibility of love. ~ African, Asian

In 1906 fifteen-year-old Mercy Wong is determined to get an education to break from the poverty in San Francisco's Chinatown. Through a mix of cunning and bribery she gains admittance at St. Clare's School for Girls, where she stands strong in the face of discrimination from her wealthy white classmates. When a historic earthquake destroys Mercy's home and school, the strong-willed teenager can't sit by and just wait for help. She takes matters into her own hands instead. Outrun The Moon is a powerful and thought-provoking read for teenage girls. ~ Asian

When diabetic activist Stevie Hart first meets Max Garza, a school drop-out with a tragic past, she thinks he is dead. Turns out, he is on a mission to fake his own death in 23 different ways. Stevie's coding genius friend Sanger Sadler-Hamasaki is intrigued, and the two home-schooled girls strike up a friendship with Max. What starts off as fun soon spirals downward... With its delightfully weird and diverse protagonists, Lucky Few is a quirky debut novel that celebrates friendship, first love, and being different ("fitting in is overrated"). ~ Diverse

From the acclaimed author of Mosquitoland comes this funny and touching bestseller about first love and devastating loss. Victor Benucci has a set of instructions for scattering his father's ashes. He meets and falls in love with Madeline Falco, a girl with a trouble past, who belongs to the Kids of Appetite. As the gang helps Victor fulfill his father's last wishes, they become entangled in a murder investigation. Kids of Appetite is an exciting read, one of the most talked about young adult novel of the year 2016. ~ African, Diverse

2015: Sixteen-year-old Jesse's older brother died in the 9/11 attacks, and her home has since been filled with anger and grief. A hate-fueled decision turns Jesse's life upside down and forces her to face the past. 2001: Sixteen-year-old Muslim girl Alia decides to confront her father about not letting her attend a program for talented high school artists. When she visits him at his office, the planes collide into the Twin Towers, and Alia gets trapped. In the final hours she meets a boy who changes everything for her. All We Have Leftis a heartfelt novel about love and hope. ~ Diverse

March: Book Three is the stunning conclusion of the award-winning trilogy by congressman and civil rights key figure John Lewis. Starting in 1963, the book describes the continuing struggle for justice. With an unpredictable new president and fractures within the movement deepening, 25-year-old John Lewis risks everything in a historic showdown high above the Alabama river, in a town called Selma. With expressive black-and-white illustrations, this unique graphic novel makes the history of the civil rights movement accessible for teenagers. ~ African

In March 2011 a tsunami devastates the coast of Japan. Young survivor Kai loses almost everyone and everything. When he is offered a trip to New York to meet kids affected by 9/11, Kai uses this opportunity to also look for his estranged American father. When he visits Ground Zero, Kai realizes he needs to return home and help rebuild his town. Up From The Sea is a heartbreaking yet hopeful novel-in-verse about loss, survival, and starting anew. ~ Asian

During the infamous violent summer of 1977, when New York City is affected by arson, a massive blackout, and a serial killer, 17-year-old Nora's life isn't going well either. Her drug-dealing brother abuses Nora and her mother, her absent father calls only on holidays, and the family is struggling to pay the rent. Nora likes Pablo, her new co-worker at the deli, but is not ready for a relationship, not least because the serial killer goes after young couples who stay out late. Burn Baby Burn is an intense coming-of-age novel, based on historic events. ~ Hispanic

Diego, Liv, Ethan, Dave, and Joy are students at a prestigious New York City performing arts school, all of them dreaming of stardom. In five chapters - each told from the perspective of a different student. You in Five Acts is a poignant multicultural young adult novel that tells of the heartbreaks, the betrayals, the inside jokes, and the remember-whens of friendship, and of a tragedy that changed everything. ~ Diverse

From a young age, Malala stood up for what she believes. Growing up in a region of Pakistan the Taliban had taken control of, she fought for her right to education. In 2012 she survived being shot point-blank on the bus home from school. Malala is a symbol of peaceful protest and continues to speak internationally. She is the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize winner. I Am Malala is the Young Readers Edition of Malala's bestselling memoir that makes this courageous girl's inspiring story accessible to teenagers. Includes exclusive photos and material. ~ Asian

*You can buy any of these multicultural young adult novels from Amazon USA, CAN or UK by clicking on the book titles or images*

More Multicultural Books for Young Adults:
African - High School (YA) Asian - High School (YA) Hispanic - High School (YA)

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The 10 Best Multicultural Young Adult Novels of 2016 | Colours of Us

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Following my lists of Best Multicultural Picture Books of 2016 and Best Multicultural Middle Grade Novels of 2016 , I am finishing this mini-series with a list of this year's best multicultural young adult novels. My personal favourites are Kids of Appetite and The Sun Is Also A Star.

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UPDATED June 2019!

Summer is here! Well, at least in the northern hemisphere... Time to stock up on summer reads for your middle graders!

There is something for everyone on this extensive list of multicultural middle-grade novels!

50+ Multicultural Middle-Grade Novels for Summer Reading

African & African American

When brothers Caleb and Bobby Gene meet their cool new neighbour, Styx Malone, they are in for a mad adventure. Styx convinces them to join in the Great Escalator Trade: Exchanging one small thing for something better in the hope of ending up with a motorbike. But soon things get out of control. The Season Of Styx Malone is a heartwarming novel about friendship, trust, and the yearning to escape the ordinary.

11-year-old Genie and his older brother Ernie are leaving Brooklyn for the very first time to spend the summer with their grandparents in rural Virginia. It is a time full of surprises for Genie and learning about himself and his family: From finding out that his grandfather is blind to discovering his secret room to learning that bravery can mean different things. Just published this month, As Brave As You Are is a thoughtful and gentle middle-grade novel by Coretta Scott King/Johnson Steptoe Award-winner Jason Reynolds (When I Was the Greatest).

All twelve-year-old Shayla wants is to make it through seventh grade with her best friendships intact, learn to run track, and have a cute boy see past her giant forehead. But in junior high, she's suddenly questioning who her best friends are and some people at school are saying she's not black enough. Through her sister, she starts getting involved in the Black Lives Matter movement and soon has to decide to do what's right. A Good Kind Of Trouble is a funny and big-hearted debut novel about family, friendship and standing up for what is right.

Brown Girl Dreaming is a deeply personal and touching account of the author's childhood as an African American girl in the 1960's and 1970's. Growing up in South Carolina and New York, she becomes increasingly aware of the Civil Rights Movement. In poetic language full of imagery this award-winning book gives a glimpse into a child's soul and her journey of self-discovery.

After the death of his mother, 11-year-old Langston and his father move from Alabama to Chicago's Bronzeville district. Everything is different here and Langston misses his home, his family and his friends. Being bullied at his new school and not seeing much of his father, Langston feels lonely in the big and noisy city. The library becomes his safe place and this is where he discovers the Langston his mother named him after. Finding Langston is a lyrical novel about one boy's experiences during the Great Migration.

12-year-old Caroline Murphy struggles with being bullied by students and teachers alike at her small school on St. Thomas of the US Virgin Islands, a spirit that keeps following her, and the fact that her mother left home one day and never came back. When Caroline befriends Kalinda, a new student from Barbados, she soon realizes that her feelings for her are more than platonic. Although those feelings are not being reciprocated, Kalinda wants to help Caroline look for her missing mother and so the girls set out in a hurricane to find her before it is too late. Award-winning Hurricane Child is a moving and suspenseful coming-of-age novel that young readers will love.

More Caribbean books: 36 Children's Books set in the Caribbean

13-year-old Muchoki and his little sister Jata have lost almost everything: Political violence has destroyed their Kenyan village and killed their father. Now living in an overcrowded refugee camp with their ailing mother, the siblings are faced with hunger and fears about the future. Driven by both hope and desperation, Muchoki and Jata set off on a brave, seemingly impossible journey, walking hundreds of kilometers to find their last remaining family. Walking Home is an inspiring and moving story about loss and forgiveness, perseverance and hope.

Imani is adopted and she knows exactly what she wants as her big bat mitzvah gift: to find her birth parents. Being Black in her mostly White Jewish community, she has always wondered where she came from. When her great-grandma Anna passes away, Imani discovers her old diary from 1941, the year she was twelve and fled Nazi-occupied Luxembourg alone. Anna's diary records her journey to America and her new life with an adoptive family of her own. As Imani reads the diary, she begins to see her family, and her place in it, in a whole new way. The Length Of A String is a gripping novel about identity, family and belonging.

Set in Mississippi at the height of the Depression, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry tells of one family's struggle to maintain their integrity, pride, and independence in the face of racism and social injustice. This classic masterpiece focuses on Cassie Logan, an independent girl who discovers why having land of their own is so crucial to the Logan family, and learns to draw strength from her own sense of dignity and self-respect.

Twelve-year-old Ann understands there is only one thing to be grateful for as a slave: having her family together. But when the master plans to sell her and her younger brother to two different owners, the family decides to run away on the Underground Railroad. Will they survive the dangerous trip to their freedom in the North? Ann Fights For Freedom is a compelling read with expressive illustrations.

More historical fiction: African American Historical Fiction for Middle School

Seventh-grader Jordan Banks' passion is drawing cartoons about his life. He'd love to go to art school but his parents decide to send him to a prestigious private school known for its academics instead. Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds. New Kid is an engaging graphic novel about fitting in and staying true to yourself.

"Like lightning / you strike /fast and free / legs zoom / down field / eyes fixed / on the checkered ball / on the goal / ten yards to go / can't nobody stop you..." In this follow-up to award-winning The Crossover, twelve-year-old Nick struggles with problems at home, is faced with a bully, and tries to impress the girl of his dreams. With the help of his best friend and inspiring books given to him by a rapping librarian, Nicky learns about the power of words and how to stand up for himself. Booked is an exciting and heartfelt novel-in-verse about soccer, family, love and friendship.

One night 11-year-old Stella and her brother witness a Ku Klux Klan meeting in the North Carolina woods. For the African American siblings, living in the South is a dangerous, scary and often humiliating experience. Stella by Starlight is a gripping and realistic portrayal of life in the segregated South during the Great Depression.

In an old attic in Lambert, South Carolina, Candice finds a letter addressed to her grandmother, who left the town in shame. The letter tells of an injustice that happened decades ago, a mystery and the fortune awaiting the person who solves the puzzle. Together with her friend Brandon, Candice embarks on a journey that leads deep into Lambert's dark history, and deeper into their own families, with their own unspoken secrets. The Parker Inheritance is a powerful novel about racism, justice and friendship.

More books about racism: 37 Children's Books to help talk about Racism & Discrimination

Generations ago, twins, black cats, and other potentially magical beings were outlawed in the kingdom of Kaloon. So from birth, twins Flissa and Sara had to pretend to be one princess, Flissara. But when a magical attack puts their mother's life in danger, the girls must break the rules that have protected them to save her. They set off on an epic quest to the Twists-a forbidden place full of dark magic-to find the evil mage who cursed the queen. The first book in a new series, Twinchantment brings to life a fantastical world of sisterhood, adventure, and incredible twists.

The Watsons Go to Birmingham
by Christopher Paul Curtis

Meet the "Weird Watsons": 10-year-old Kenny, his mom, dad, little sister Joetta and older brother Byron. When Byron gets into too much trouble, the family drives to Alabama to visit Grandma, the one person who can shape him up. It's 1963, and little does the family know that they are heading straight into one of the most horrific moments in America's history: the bombing of a church that killed four little girls. Award-winning The Watsons Go To Birmingham is both hilarious and heartbreaking - a modern classic that every middle grader should read.

Because of his disruptive antics and pranks, Thelonius Mitchell is in special ed, separated from the "normal" kids at school who don't have any "issues." When a gun is found at a neighbourhood hangout, Thelonius and his pals become instant suspects and they must find the real culprits in order to prove their innocence. The Usual Suspects is an engaging and honest middle-grade thriller that young readers won't want to put down.

One Crazy Summer is the first book of Williams-Garcia's award-winning trilogy about three resilient young sisters in the late 60's. Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern travel to Oakland in 1968 to spend the summer with their mother who abandoned them seven years earlier. They receive a cold welcome from their mother, a dedicated poet and printer, and are being sent to the Black Panther's day center every day. This heartfelt, funny and thought-provoking novel addresses two difficult subjects: The controversial Black Panther Party, and a mother who leaves her children behind.

The other books in the trilogy: P.S. Be Eleven // Gone Crazy in Alabama

Asian & Asian American

Another fantastic brand new release! In times of the anti-Iran sentiments of the 1970s, fitting in has become even more difficult for brainy loner Zomorod Yousefzadeh. Her family has just moved again, this time to Newport Beach, California, and she is determined to fit in, even changing her name to all-American Cindy. It Ain't So Awful, Falafel is a moving yet lighthearted middle-grade novel from the author of best-selling Funny in Farsi.

After India has been divided into two countries (India and Pakistan), 12-year-old half-Muslim/half-Hindu Nisha doesn't know where she belongs anymore. Her family embarks on a dangerous journey to find a new home. Told through Nisha's letters to her late mother, The Night Diary is a poignant story of loss, identity and hope.

More books set in Pakistan: 15 Children's Books set in Pakistan

Instead of spending her holidays at the beach, Californian girl Mai has to accompany her grandmother to Vietnam. Her parents are hoping that the trip will connect their out-of-touch daughter with her roots, but Mai struggles with the foreign country and its culture. Bestselling Listen, Slowly is an irresistible and poignant story about the true meaning of home, culture, family and friends. The paperback edition includes a letter from the author, a Vietnamese glossary and a pronunciation guide.

Ten-year-old aspiring writer Mia Tang manages the front desk of a motel where her immigrant parents clean the rooms. If the mean motel owner, Mr Yao, finds out they've been letting other immigrants stay in the empty rooms for free, the Tangs will be doomed. Featuring an irresistible protagonist, award-winning Front Desk is an engaging middle-grade novel about immigration, poverty and resilience.

More books about immigration: 30 Multicultural Picture Books about Immigration

Save Me A Seat is told from the points of view of Ravi, who recently arrived in the US from India, and Joe, whose best friend has just moved away. Both boys attend Fifth Grade at the same school and - each in their own way - struggle to acclimatise to the new situation. Over the course of a single crazy week, they find out that they have more in common than they thought: Dillon Samreen, the school's biggest bully. Together Ravi and Joe try to take control of their lives. Released earlier this month, this is an authentic middle grade novel about fitting in and staying true to yourself.

Abandoned by their father, sisters Soledad and Ming from the Philippines live in Louisiana with their evil stepmother. All they have is the stories their deceased mother used to tell them about the travels of her magical sister. The stories give the sisters hope, but for little Ming they also blur the lines between fact and fiction. Sol needs to find a way to pull her sister back into reality. Mixing fantasy and realism, The Land of Forgotten Girls is an enchanting middle-grade novel about sisterhood, hope and the power of imagination.

Lou Bulosan-Nelson plans to build a tiny house on land she inherited from her dad. She longs for a place where she can escape her lovable but crazy extended Filipino family. But then she finds out that the land may not be hers for much longer. With Lou's determination and the help of friends and relatives, her dream eventually begins to take shape. The House That Lou Build is a warm coming-of-age story about culture and family, forgiveness and friendship.

More books about friendship: 18 Multicultural Children's Books about Friendship

11-year-old Ema is looking forward to the arrival of her baby sibling. Finally, someone who will understand how it feels to be half American and half Japanese. But spending the summer with her grandparents in Japan is difficult for Ema: Her harsh grandmother, her mother's tricky pregnancy, and then their stay is extended and she must attend a new school, once again not fitting in. When the tragedy of 9/11 strikes an ocean away, and her grandfather falls ill, Ema feels more helpless than ever and learns about the tender side and the strength of her grandmother. Entirely written in free-verse, Somewhere Among is a heartfelt debut middle-grade novel about family, loneliness and hope.

In 1977, 11-year-old Zhongmei travelled for several days to attend the open auditions of the prestigious Beijing Dance Academy. Against all odds, the poor country girl beat out 60,000 other girls, became a famous dancer, and made her New York debut with her own dance company when she was in just her late 20s. Written by Zhongmei's husband, A Girl Named Faithful Plum is a fascinating account of one girl's journey from the remote farmlands of China to the world's stages.

More books about female artists: 40 Multicultural Children's Books About Fabulous Female Artists

Chinese-American Cilla Lee-Jenkins has already written a "Bestseller" and a "Classic"―now it's time for her to write an Epic Story. Epics are all about brave heroes overcoming struggles to save the world, and this year, Cilla is facing her toughest struggles yet: She is in fifth grade and, unlike her classmates, not at all ready to start middle school; she has to look after two younger sisters who don't get along, and her beloved grandfather YeYe has had a stroke and forgotten his English. With humour, heart and a lovable main character, Cilla Lee-Jenkins: The Epic Story will appeal to young readers entering middle school, especially aspiring young writers.

After her father and younger brother were killed in accident, Cedar and what's left of her family are spending the summer in Iron Creek. The Asian American girl befriends local boy Leo who introduces her to the renowned Summerlost theatre festival. Cedar gets a job at the festival and soon finds herself surrounded by mysteries: That of a deceased Hollywood actress haunting the halls of Summerlost, and that of the strange gifts Cedar keeps receiving. Summerlost is a tender and touching middle grade novel about processing loss and finding friendship.

Hispanic & Hispanic American

11-year-old Celeste lives a peaceful life among family, friends and neighbours in the idyllic seaside town of Valparaiso, Chile. But her world is turned upside down when one day warships arrive, and classmates start disappearing without an explanation. Celeste doesn't quite understand but she knows that no one is safe anymore. Celeste's parents have to go into hiding and send Celeste to America to protect her. Based on true events during Pinochet's dictatorship, I Lived on Butterfly Hill is a heart-rending historical fiction novel about exile and reunification, loss and hope.

Island Treasures is a collection of autobiographical stories from renowned author Alma Flor Ada, offering a moving glimpse into her childhood in Cuba. The book features Ada's award-winning books 'Where the Flame Trees Bloom' and ' Under the Royal Palms' as well as five new stories, family photos and a Spanish/English glossary. The poignant and often humorous stories bring to life some of the important people in Ada's life, from her blind great-grandmother with her wisdom and generosity to her brave aeroplane-flying Uncle Medardo, from music-loving worker Samoné to Ada's beloved and supportive dance teacher.

Twelve-year-old Güero is a Mexican American border kid with red hair, light skin and freckles. He is a book, game and music nerd and has just started 7th grade with a woke English teacher who knows how to make poetry cool. They Call Me Güero is a vibrant novel-in-poems about growing up between two cultures.

"'Nobody believed me when I said two skunks stole my old trike. But I'd seen those stinkers take it. Swear.' When Fourth Grader Mateo Martinez insists that two talking skunks stole his old trike, his family believes he was only dreaming, as he also constantly dreams of being a medieval knight. But that's not all that's difficult in Mateo's life: He has to deal with bullies at school, with Johnny not being his best friend anymore and with developing his new friendship with Indian American Ashwin. And above all, he struggles with his Mexican American identity. The Midnight War of Mateo Martinez is a funny and action-packed middle-grade novel with a touch of fantasy, a story about growing up and letting go.

Growing up in the rough South Bronx, Sonia Sotomayor dreamed of becoming a lawyer and a judge. Her determination, along with the guidance from mentors and the love of her extended Puerto Rican family, propelled her forward until her dream eventually came true. She became the first Latina and the third woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court. The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayor is the middle-grade adaptation of this inspiring woman's memoir. Includes an 8-page photo insert and a brief history of the Supreme Court.

When Sal Vidon and Gabi Real meet for the first time, it isn't under the best of circumstances. Sal is in the principal's office for allegedly putting a raw chicken in Yasmany's locker (that has since magically disappeared), and Gabi, student council president and editor of the school paper, is there to support her friend Yasmany. Sal prides himself on being an excellent magician. When Gabi learns that he's capable of conjuring things much bigger than a chicken-including his dead mother- and she takes it all in stride, Sal knows that she is someone he can work with. There's only one slight problem: their manipulation of time and space could put the entire universe at risk. Sal & Gabi Break The Universe is a hilarious and quirky novel that middle-graders won't be able to put down.

Daughter of undocumented Mexican immigrants, Jacinta Juarez doesn't know much about the world outside her barrio. When a well-known news anchorwoman becomes her mentor after reporting on her youth center, Jacinta finds herself caught between two cultures. She want to embrace a better future but also longs for the comfort of her family and the barrio. When her family is torn apart, Jacinta needs to find her own strength to pick up the pieces. Look Both Ways in the Barrio Blanco is a charming and authentic coming of age story, told with humour and sensitivity.

Sixth-Grader Merci Suarez and her older brother are the only scholarship students at their private school in Florida. They have to do extra community service to make up for their free tuition. Added to that Merci is being targeted by a jealous girl and at home, her beloved grandfather is acting increasingly strange. Merci feels very alone with her confusion and worry and tries to find her own way of navigating the difficult situation. Award-winning Merci Suárez Changes Gears is a heartfelt yet humorous coming-of-age novel about change, authenticity and family connection.

Set in 1981 during Guatemala's Civil War, this is the story of a young boy who has to flee when soldiers invade his village. Separated from his mother, Carlos joins a band of guerillas and tries to make his way to his grandmother's mountain village. Written entirely in free-verse, Caminar is a gripping and moving story of a young boy's loss, survival and growth.

In this follow-up of the instant hit Love Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble, Leonora Logroño has finally been introduced to her family's bakery bruja magic. But since her special power hasn't shown up yet, her family still won't let her perform her own spells, and they expect her to keep the family magic secret, even from her best friend Caroline. Suddenly spirits are popping up all over town, causing all sorts of trouble! Is this Leo's fault? And can she reverse the spell before it's too late? Love Sugar Magic: A Sprinkle Of Spirits is a charming book that middle-graders will love.

Initially, 12-year-old Lizzy is not keen on spending the summer with her grandmother in a remote village in New Mexico. But soon she enjoys her loving Nana's company and the enchanted atmosphere of a village frozen in time. Lizzy also starts to uncover the mystery surrounding her father who died before she was born. Tortilla Sun is a gentle story about family, friendship and dealing with the past.

11-year old Celi Rivera has lots to grapple with, from her changing body to her first crush and her best friend's exploration of gender fluidity. But most of all, she is dreading the looming arrival of her first period, because her mother insists on having a traditional Mexican moon ceremony. Told in verse, The Moon Within is a sensitive and humorous coming-of-age story that will appeal not only to young Latinas but girls everywhere.

Recently immigrated to the U.S., Lety Muñoz loves volunteering at the Furry Friends Animal Shelter because the dogs and cats there don't care how fast she can find the right word in English. When another volunteer sets up a secret competition to determine who will be the official shelter scribe, Lety is worried that if the shelter finds out, they'll kick her out of the program. And then she'll never be able to adopt her favourite shelter dog! Lety Out Loud is a touching story about compassion, empathy and living between two cultures.

10-year-old Fina Mendoza's mom just died. She and her older sister Gabby move to Washington, D.C. to live with Papa, a congressman from California. Fina loves riding the Capitol subways, grabbing snacks in congressional offices, and spending more time with Papa. But after she encounters a mysterious cat, a string of disasters follows, and Fina must solve the mystery of the Demon Cat of Capitol Hill. Welcome To Washington, Fina Mendoza is a fun read with a lovable protagonist that will appeal to middle-graders everywhere.

Junior, an aspiring cartoonist, leaves his school on the Spokane Indian Reservation to attend an all-white farm town school. Based on the author's own experiences, The Absolute True Diary of a Part-time Indian is a touching and funny middle grade novel about the contemporary adolescence of a Native American boy. Illustrated with poignant cartoon-style drawings.

12-year-old Willow Chance is obsessed with nature, diagnosing medical conditions, and counting by 7s. Struggling to connect with anyone other than her adoptive parents, she leads a quietly happy life, until both her parents die in an accident, leaving her alone in a confusing world. But Willow manages to push through her grief and find a substitute family. With a multicultural cast (Willow describes herself as a 'person of colour", her new family is of mixed Vietnamese, African American, and Mexican heritage), bestselling Counting by 7s is a moving middle grade novel about loss, resilience and the true meaning of family.

Written in the form of a notebook, The Unforgotten Coat chronicles the events of Julie's sixth-grade year many years ago. Two Mongolian brothers inexplicably appear one morning in her class in Liverpool, England. Chingis, the older brother, proclaims Julie as their "Good Guide" - a nomadic tradition of welcoming strangers to a new land -, and Julie must somehow navigate them through soccer, school uniforms, and British slang, whilst dealing with her own typical tween issues. A unique, moving and sometimes funny middle-grade novel about immigration and two brothers trying to survive.

12-year-old Malia convinces her friends Dot and Bree to start a babysitting club in order to earn funds for an epic birthday bash. But babysitting isn't exactly what they thought it would be... Best Babysitters Ever is a funny middle-grade novel about friendship, jealousy and first crushes.

Salt is a compelling middle grade novel about the friendship between children of settlers and a Native American tribe. In 1812 Anikwa and James spend their days fishing, trapping, and exploring the forests together. When tensions rise between the traders and the tribe, the two 12-year-olds face the heartbreaking decision where their deepest loyalties lie.

Another one about a friendship between children of settlers and native children, this time with girls as main characters. With rich historical detail, Blue Birds tells the story of two girls from two very different worlds: Alis belongs to a family of settlers from England, and Kimi to a native family of the Roanoke tribe. Despite the tensions between the settlers and the Native people, the two girls form an impossible friendship and risk their lives for one another.

When a string of dognappings grips her Denver neighbourhood, spunky Kazu Jones sets out to track down the culprits with the help of her gang, including her best friend and expert hacker, March; and her ginormous, socially anxious pup, Genki. With a diverse cast of characters and a suspenseful storyline, Kazu Jones and the Denver Dogsnappers is the first instalment in a new series.

*You can buy any of the books on this site from Amazon USA, CAN or UK by clicking on the book titles or covers*

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50+ Multicultural Middle Grade Novels for Summer Reading

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UPDATED June 2019! Summer is here! Well, at least in the northern hemisphere... Time to stock up on summer reads for your middle graders! There is something for everyone on this extensive list of multicultural middle-grade novels! African & African American When brothers Caleb and Bobby Gene meet their cool new neighbour, Styx Malone, they are in for a mad adventure.

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Never too late for a 'Best of' list! Just like 2018, last year saw the release of many wonderful multicultural picture books.

So much so that it was difficult to decide which ones to include in this list!

Browse our list of the 50 best multicultural picture books of 2019 and see which ones are your favourites!

The 50 Best Multicultural Picture Books Of 2019

Babies & Toddlers

"Ground Control to Major Baby: Could you be an astronaut?" Discover all the incredible ways that prove baby already has what it takes to become an astronaut, from growing healthy teeth to eating from plastic packs to working in small spaces. Future Astronaut is an adorable board book that includes lots of fun astronaut facts. ~ Diverse - Babies & Toddlers

More STEM books: 50+ Multicultural STEAM Books for Children

From Amelia Earhart to Malala Yousafzai, Tina Turner, and all the way to e Xtraordinary You and the Zillion of adventures you will go on, this vibrant board book introduces iconic women and girls to the littlest readers. A Is For Awesome is a fun alphabet book with spirited illustrations that will keep little ones' attention. ~ Diverse - Babies & Toddlers

More books about amazing women: 30 Diverse Children's Anthologies About Trailblazing Women

Follow a bunch of adventurous babies as they explore the animals, plants, and fish that live in the ocean. With simple text in question and answer format and adorable illustrations, Nerdy Babies: Ocean teaches the tiniest readers about the unique ecosystem of our oceans. ~ Diverse - Babies & Toddlers

Also available: Nerdy Babies: Space

With stylish and quirky illustrations, Ella introduces the youngest dreamers to the First Lady of Song, from her early singing days on the streets of Harlem to her success as a jazz legend. Part of the Little People, Big Dreams series, this board book version of the international bestseller Ella Fitzgerald. ~ African - Babies & Toddlers

More books about female artists: 40 Multicultural Children's Books About Fabulous Female Artists

This heartwarming board book teaches how to say "good night" in ten different languages: Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, French, Italian, Portuguese, Swahili, Arabic, Vietnamese, German, and Korean. How Do You Say Good Night is a charming bedtime story that little ones will adore! ~ Diverse - Babies & Toddlers

More bedtime books: Top 10 Multicultural Bedtime Stories for Babies & Toddlers // 11 Multicultural Lullabies

Developed by the National Museum of African American History and Culture, A Is for All the Things You Are is a lively alphabet board book that celebrates diversity. With colourful pictures, it introduces twenty-six key traits little readers can explore and cultivate as they grow. ~ Diverse - Babies & Toddlers

"Just in case you want to fly / here's some wind / and here's the sky". With lyrical text and unique illustrations, Just in Case You Want to Fly is a funny and sweet celebration of heading off on new adventures, knowing your loved ones will always have your back when you need them. ~ African - Preschool

"Today would be special. / Today would be splendid. / It was Saturday!" But sometimes, the best plans don't work out exactly the way you expect... Gorgeously illustrated, Saturday is a heartfelt story that follows a mother and daughter on an up-and-down journey that reminds them of what's most important: precious time together. ~ African - Preschool

"Fry bread is nation. / It is shared by many, from coast to coast and beyond. Fry bread is us. / It is a celebration of old and new, traditional and modern, similarity and difference." Vibrantly illustrated and told in lively verse, Fry Bread is a powerful depiction of a modern Native American family. ~ Diverse - Preschool

More Native American Books: 32 Native American Children's Books

Awâsis and the World-Famous Bannock is a charming story that celebrates Cree dialects and traditional storytelling. During an unfortunate mishap, young Awâsis loses Kôhkum's freshly baked world-famous bannock. With the help of her animal friends, goes on an adventurous journey to find all the ingredients again. Includes a pronunciation guide and the recipe for Kôhkum's world-famous bannock. ~ Diverse - Preschool

More Native American Books: 32 Native American Children's Books

From the team behind the award-winning comes this stunning celebration of mindfulness. Here And Now playfully explores identity and connection, inspires curiosity, and prompts engaging discussions about slowing down and enjoying each moment. ~ Diverse - Preschool

"Today, I will be fierce! I will answer the call to adventure." It's a brand new day, and a young girl decides to take on the world. From home to school and back again, she conquers the Mountain of Knowledge (the library), forges new bridges (friendships), and leads the victorious charge home on her steed (the school bus). With bright illustrations, I Will Be Fierce! is a powerful picture book about courage, confidence, and kindness. ~ Diverse - Preschool

More books about courage: 18 Multicultural Children's Books about Fear and Courage

One of our all-time favourite series! With adorable illustrations, Lola Goes To School follows spunky little Lola as she embarks on a new adventure: The first day of school! Lola and her family prepare the night before, then get up early, take pictures, and head to class. Lola puts her things in her cubby, chooses her activities, reads, plays, and has a snack. Before she knows it, it's time to sing the good-bye song. ~ African - Preschool

More in the Lola series: 40+ Multicultural Book Series for Girls & Boys

"Where are you from?" is the question one little girl constantly gets asked. Unsure about how to reply, she turns to her loving abuelo for help. He doesn't give her the response she expects but an even better one. With luminous illustrations and lyrical text, Where Are You From? is a powerful picture book about identity, belonging and self-acceptance. ~ Hispanic - Preschool

With rhyming text and bold colourful illustrations, Pancakes To Parathas takes young readers on a tour around the world to explore the breakfasts of twelve different countries, from cornmeal porridge in Jamaica to soured soybeans in Japan and deep-fried bean fritters in Nigeria. ~ Diverse - Preschool

Living in a refugee camp, little Lubna's best friend is a pebble. Pebble always listens to her stories and always smiles when she feels scared. But when a lost little boy arrives in the World of Tents, Lubna realizes that he needs Pebble even more than she does. Emotionally stirring and stunningly illustrated, Lubna and Pebble explores one girl's powerful act of friendship in the midst of utter uncertainty. ~ Asian - Preschool

More books about immigrants/refugees: 30 Multicultural Picture Books about Immigration

"In all the world over, this much is true: You're somebody special. There's only one YOU." Gorgeously illustrated There's Only One You celebrates individuality and diversity. Expertly written to include all kinds of children and families, the book features a range of physical types, personalities, and abilities. A must-have! ~ Diverse - Preschool

More books about self-esteem: 20 Multicultural Children's Books To Help Build Self-Esteem

Follow Pili as she travels the world from New York City to the Colombian rain forest with her dad, National Geographic photographer Kike Calvo. The Adventures of Pili in New York is the first book in a bilingual series about Pili's adventures. The Little Explorer, Big World series tackles the concepts of cultural diversity and empowerment, global readiness and peace, entrepreneurship and climate change. ~ Hispanic - Preschool

Meet Sasha, Lottie, Alice, and Leela - four best friends who spend their days playing beneath the branches of their favourite apple tree. As the tree grows tall and reaches across the sky, so do they . . . Through their shared secrets, dreams, worries, and schemes, their friendship grows stronger even when their adventures take them in different directions. Beautifully illustrated The Girls celebrates kindness and true friendship. ~ Diverse - Preschool

More books about friendship: 18 Multicultural Children's Books about Friendship

"Sometimes I'm not sure if I like being me. " When Leila looks in the mirror, she doesn't know if she likes what she sees. But when her grandmother tells her the saffron beads on her scarf suit her, she feels a tiny bit better. So, Leila spends the rest of their family dinner night on the lookout for other parts of her she does like. Vibrantly illustrated Leila In Saffron takes young readers on a colourful journey of self-discovery and identity. ~ Asian - Preschool

"You are a mysterious piece to a magical puzzle!" Black Girl Magic is an expressively illustrated book that will inspire little black girls to love themselves, their hair and their skin. It promotes self-confidence and encourages them to know that they are pretty just the way they are. ~ African - Preschool

Follow spunky little Ruby as she uncovers the wild side of her city neighbourhood with the help of her neighbour. Ruby's Birds is the exciting story of Ruby's "spark moment" - the name bird lovers give the moment they get hooked. Includes a seek-and-find element, a bird poster, information about where to find all of the birds mentioned, Ruby's tips for taking a nature walk, and how to connect with citizen-science project 'Celebrate Urban Birds'. ~ African - Preschool

"You might go unnoticed, or shine like a star, / but wherever you go and whoever you are... / don't change how you act to be just like the rest. / Believe in yourself and the things you do best." With inspiring text and exuberant illustrations, Remarkably You celebrates all the wonderful ways children can be their remarkable selves. ~ Diverse - Preschool

More books about self-esteem: 20 Multicultural Children's Books To Help Build Self-Esteem

A soon-to-be big sister and her parents wait for the arrival of a new baby, from a frosty wintery through a sun-dappled summer until the birth. With meticulously detailed, actual size illustrations, and lyrical yet informative text, Nine Months is a beautiful book, perfect for young children who are awaiting the birth of a sibling. ~ Asian - Preschool

More books about siblings: 20 Multicultural Picture Books about new siblings

"The morning sun blares through your window like a million brass trumpets. It sits and shines behind your head-like a crown. Mommy says that today, you are going to be the King of Kindergarten!" New York Times bestseller The King Of Kindergarten follows a confident little boy on his first day of kindergarten. A joyful and empowering story that will give new kindergarteners a reassuring confidence boost! ~ African - Preschool

A little girl has to say good-bye to her beloved Grandpa. She recalls al the happy times they had together and wants to find a way to honour him. So she decides to record her Grandpa stories in the notebook he made for her and carry Grandpa with her as she grows. Grandpa's Stories is a touching lyrical story about love and loss. ~ African - Preschool

More books about grandparents: 40+ Multicultural Children's Books about Grandparents

When Sofia's beloved Abuelo hurts his ankle at the local landfill known as Mount Trashmore, Sofia comes up with the genius idea to turn the slimy mess into a park! She presents her plan at the City Plan but is told that she can't build a park because she's just a kid. Sofia is down but not out, and she sets out to prove what one kid can do. Instant New York Times bestseller Sofia Valdez, Future Prez is the newest in the popular Questioneers series starring a diverse bunch of kids who come up with creative ideas and pursue their passions with persistence. ~ Hispanic - Preschool

More STEAM books:50+ Multicultural STEAM Books for Children

Bedtime means lights out, with dark corners and spooky sounds. But it also means . . . adventure! It's Not A Bed, It's A Time Machine follows a little boy as he rides to the coolest time of all - the age of the dinosaurs. He makes a tyrannosaurus-sized friend, who helps him become the Boss of Bedtime. With colourful illustrations and a lively storyline, this picture book is sure to become your little one's favourite bedtime read! ~ Hispanic - Preschool

"Some people are boys. Some people are girls. Some people are both, neither, or somewhere in between." With vibrant illustrations and straightforward text, It Feels Good To Be Yourself introduces the concept of gender identity to the youngest readers and gives them a fuller understanding of themselves and others. ~ Diverse - Preschool

When biracial (black and South Asian) Aidan was born, everyone thought he was a girl. His parents gave him a pretty name, his room looked like a girl's room, and he wore clothes that other girls liked wearing. After he realized he was a trans boy, Aidan and his parents fixed the parts of his life that didn't fit anymore, and he settled happily into his new life. But when his parents announce that he will become a big brother, Aidan is determined to do everything right for his new sibling from the beginning. When Aidan Became a Brother is a heartwarming book that celebrates the changes in a transgender boy's life, from his initial coming-out to becoming a big brother. ~ Diverse - Preschool

More books with multiracial characters: 70+ Picture Books about Mixed Race Families

Sulwe has skin the color of midnight. She is darker than everyone in her family and in her school. Sulwe just wants to be beautiful and bright, like her mother and sister. But a magical journey in the night sky opens her eyes and changes everything. Gorgeously illustrated Sulwe is a powerful and moving debut picture book by Academy Award-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o that will inspire children everywhere to see their own unique beauty. ~ African - Preschool

Elementary School

In 1956, the government uprooted Wilma's family and moved them to California. Separated from her community, Wilma found refuge in the Indian Center in San Francisco where she developed the local Native community and championed Native political activists. When she returned to Oklahoma, Wilma took part in Cherokee government. Despite many obstacles, from resistance to female leadership to a life-threatening accident, Wilma's dedication to serving her people led to her election as the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation. Interweaving prose with Wilma's own words, Wilma's Way Home is a moving account of this inspiring leader. ~ Diverse - Elementary School

More Native American books: 32 Native American Children's Books

"The world needs a boy like you". A Boy Like You shows that here is much more to being a boy than sports, feats of daring, and keeping a stiff upper lip. This stunningly illustrated book encourages every boy to embrace all the things that make him unique, to be brave and ask for help, to tell his own story and listen to the stories of those around him. A must have for every boy! ~ Diverse - Elementary School

When Daisy Ramona zooms around her neighbourhood with her papi on his motorcycle, she sees her rapidly changing community around her. But as the sun sets purple-blue-gold, she knows that the love she feels will always be there. With vivid cartoon-style illustrations, My Papi Has A Motorcycle is a touching celebration of the love between a father and daughter. ~ Hispanic - Elementary School

When a young Cree girl moves from the country to a small town, she feels lonely and out of place. But soon she meets an elderly woman next door, who shares her love of arts and crafts. Can the girl navigate the changing seasons and failing health of her new friend? Acclaimed Birdsong is a beautifully illustrated, tender story that celebrates art, nature and connecting across generations. ~ Diverse - Elementary School

Katherine knew it was wrong that African Americans didn't have the same rights as others. She knew it was wrong that people thought women could only be teachers or nurses. And she proved everyone wrong by zooming ahead of her classmates, starting college at fifteen, and eventually joining NASA. Vibrantly illustrated A Computer Called Katherine is the inspiring true story of NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson whose calculations helped pioneer America's first manned flight into space and to the moon. ~ African - Elementary School

More books about female trailblazers: 30 Diverse Children's Anthologies About Trailblazing Women

Young Asha travels with her parents from America to India to mourn her grandmother's passing. Asha's grief and anger are compounded by the empty yellow suitcase usually reserved for gifts to and from Grandma, but when she discovers a gift left behind just for her, Asha realizes that the memory of her grandmother will live on inside her. The Yellow Suitcase is a thoughtful picture book about family, love and loss. ~ Asian - Elementary School

More Asian & Asian American books: 30 Asian & Asian American Children's Books for Ages 0 to 18

"Miles can't sleep. / Taps his toes, / snaps his fingers, / can't stop thinking of ways / to make music his own." Birth of the Cool explores the childhood and early career of Miles Davis as he finds his voice and shapes a new musical sound. With rhythmic free verse and evocative illustrations, this fascinating glimpse into the jazz legend's life will captivate young music lovers. ~ African - Elementary School

More books about Jazz: 18 Multicultural Children's Books about Jazz

Due to be released in September, Just Ask celebrates diversity and different abilities. Using her own experience as a child who was diagnosed with diabetes, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor looks at the challenges differently-abled children face - but also at the special powers those kids have as well. As the kids work together to build a community garden, they ask each other questions along the way. ~ Diverse - Elementary School

Be Bold! Be Brave! 11 Latinas who made U.S. History
by Naibe Reynoso

Be Bold! Be Brave! is a bilingual picture book that highlights 11 Latinas who excelled in various fields including medicine, science, sports, art and politics. With bright illustration and rhyming verse, young readers will find it easy follow the success stories of these amazing women, from Ellen Ochoa (first Latina to go to space) to Sonia Sotomayor (first Latina Supreme Court Justice,) and Pura Belpré (first Latina to promote bilingual literacy in Public Libraries). ~ Hispanic - Elementary School

Pura Belpré Award-Winning Books: Pura Belpré Award Winners 1996 - 2019

This beautiful poem by Newbery Award-winning author Kwame Alexander is an ode to Black American triumph and tribulation, from the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of the civil rights movement, and the grit, passion, and perseverance of some of the world's greatest heroes. With stunning illustrations by Kadir Nelson and text peppered with references to the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and others, The Undefeated celebrates the accomplishments, endurance and spirit of Black Americans. ~ African - Elementary School

If you loved the bestselling picture books starring , Rosie Revere, and , you'll be happy to hear that there is also a chapter book series starring the adorable gang of little scientists, also known as The Questioneers. The second book in the series, Ada Twist and the Perilous Pants follows the friends as they solve a mystery in Ada's backyard. ~ African - Elementary School

Also available: Ada Twist's Big Project Book for Stellar Scientists

And we're so in love with this cute Ada Twist doll!!

More multicultural dolls: 150+ Multicultural Dolls & Puppets

More STEAM books: 50+ Multicultural STEAM Books for Children

From fellow multicultural children's book blogger and co-founder of Multicultural Children's Book Day Mia Wenjen comes this sweet and fun rhyming story. Sumo Joe and his friends enjoy pretending to be sumo wrestlers. But when his little sister wants to join their game, he is torn between the two things he's best at: sumo, and being a big brother. What will he do? ~ Asian - Elementary School

More books with Asian characters: 30 Asian & Asian American Children's Books for Ages 0 to 18

"Find a tree-a / black tupelo or / dawn redwood will do-and / plant yourself. / (It's okay if you prefer a stoop, like Langston Hughes.)". How To Read A Book is a stunning new picture book from Newbery Medalist Kwame Alexander that takes children on a sensory and poetic journey about the wonderful experience of reading. ~ African - Elementary School

More books about reading: 15 Multicultural Children's Books celebrating books & reading

Tyrus Wong traveled across a vast ocean from China to America with only a suitcase and immigration papers to start a new life. Once in America, Tyrus seized every opportunity to make art and enrolled at an art institute in Los Angeles. Working as a janitor at night, his mop twirled like a paintbrush in his hands. Eventually, he was given the opportunity of a lifetime: Using sparse brushstrokes and soft watercolors, Tyrus created the iconic backgrounds of Disney's Bambi. Paper Son beautifully captures the life story of the painter who changed the world of animation forever. ~ Asian - Elementary School

What's the Big Deal About Americans
by Ruby Shamir

From Native American traditions to immigrant inventions, from diversity to democracy, from ice cream cones to apple pie, What's The Big Deal About Americans is a picture book is filled with fun facts and historical trivia, celebrating the melting pot and mosaic that is America. ~ Diverse - Elementary School

Discover the amazing diversity of the African continent! Africa Amazing Africa is an exhilarating celebration of all 55 African countries, their geography, peoples, animals, history, resources and cultural diversity. The book divides Africa into five sections: South, East, West, Central and North, each with its own introduction, followed by a page per country, containing a delightful mix of friendly, informative text and colourful illustrations. ~ African - Elementary School

Zuri's hair is beautiful but it has a mind of its own. It kinks, coils, and curls every which way. When Daddy steps in to style it for an extra special occasion, he has a lot to learn. But he loves his Zuri, and he'll do anything to make her happy. Hair Love is a tender and empowering ode to loving your natural hair - and a sweet celebration of daddies and daughters everywhere. ~ African - Elementary School

Spirited and observant, Layla is a child who is being given room to grow, making happiness both thoughtful and intimate. It's her dad talking about growing-up in South Carolina; her mom reading poetry; her best friend Juan, the community garden, and so much more. Written by poet Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie, Layla's Happiness is a beautiful story of flourishing within family and community. ~ African - Elementary School

On the night before the historic March on Washington, Martin Luther King Jr. debated, worked, and wrote late into the night, trying to decide what to say- and how to say it. Much has been written about Martin Luther King, Jr. and the 1963 March on Washington. But there's little on his legendary speech and how he came to write it. Stunningly illustrated A Place To Land tells the story behind one of the most celebrated speeches in America's history. ~ African - Elementary School

More books about Martin Luther King Jr: 22 Children's Books about Martin Luther King Jr.

Working as a bilingual assistant at the New York Public Library, Pura Belpré turned her popular retellings of Puerto Rican folk stories into books and spread story seeds across the land. Since then, generations of children and storytellers have continued to share her tales and celebrate Pura's legacy. Brought to life by exuberant illustrations and lyrical text, Planting Stories is an inspiring picture book biography of New York City's first Puerto Rican librarian who championed bilingual literature. ~ Hispanic - Elementary School

*You can buy any of the books on this site from Amazon USA, CAN or UK by clicking on the book titles or covers*

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The 50 Best Multicultural Picture Books Of 2019 | Colours of Us

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Never too late for a 'Best of' list! Just like 2018, last year saw the release of many wonderful multicultural picture books. So much so that it was difficult to decide which ones to include in this list! Browse our list of the 50 best multicultural picture books of 2019 and see which ones are your favourites!

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A Conversation on Race and Privilege with Angela Davis and Jane Elliott

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The Event: How Racist Are You? with Jane Elliott (Channel 4) (FULL)

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Bettina Love vividly explains the difference between allies and co-conspirators in the fight for justice.

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Bettina Love vividly explains the difference between allies and co-conspirators in the fight for justice.

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Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice -- and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.

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27 Mistakes White Teachers of Black Students Make and How to Fix Them

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27 Mistakes White Teachers of Black Students Make and How to Fix Them

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A few years back, I was in my room meeting parents during an open house, just days before the school year started. A woman walked in, looked up from her phone and locked eyes with me. I saw her face fall. "Is this your first year?" she asked, her tone implying that she already knew the answer to her question.

Some context. I am White and the woman was Black. In fact, almost all of the staff and students at my Atlanta high school are Black. This year I am one of only three White people in the building. I thought it made perfect sense that she seemed disappointed to see me. After all, I have known more than my fair share of first-year White teachers-too many of whom never make it past year two or three-if they come back for that second year at all.

"No ma'am," I replied. "This is my 10th year here." Her demeanor instantly changed-she smiled, strode forward, shook my hand. She asked if I knew her older daughter and, in fact, I had taught her for an elective some years back. We had a great conversation, and her younger daughter went on to become one of my favorite students, one I taught again her senior year. Her graduating class voted me "Favorite Teacher."

This success is important because it was so hard-won. Dial back to the beginning of my career and that mother would have been wise to look at me askance-I was a young teacher with no experience, a clueless White guy working with Black children for the first time.

My training was minimal-I was flying by the seat of my pants. Yet, somewhere between my first terrible year and my triumphant 12th, I became a good educator-a qualified White teacher of Black children. I wonder, though, how many mothers shook their heads at me during those years in process?

How Much Damage Can a White Teacher Do While Learning How to Teach?

Let me make a list. To be clear, I will say upfront that each of these items has applied to me at one time or another-I am not throwing stones at other White teachers I have known. That is, only unless those stones could be cast first at me because, in learning how to be a White teacher of Black students, I have made mistakes. These words serve as the start of an effort to repair the damage done. If, by chance, younger, White teachers can also see themselves between the lines, well and good.

27 Mistakes White Teachers of Black Students Make

1. Most of us fail to reckon with the fact that America is a country built on a foundation of slavery, genocide and White supremacy.

2. Most of us fail to reckon with the fact that America still grants real privilege to our Whiteness each and every day.

3. Most of us fail to understand the damage done by having grown up with de facto residential segregation. And yet, racial isolation is a step toward the formation of prejudice and implicit bias.

4. Most of us fail to understand the damage done by having attended schools separated by de facto segregation. And, again, racial isolation is a step toward the formation of prejudice and implicit bias.

https://educationpost.org/forget-implicit-bias-lets-talk-about-explicit-bias-in-education/

5. Because many of us grew up in racial isolation, we learned about Black people from the media we consumed. And yet, this media-news, sports and entertainment- overtly plays on dangerous stereotypes.

6. Some of us went to racially diverse schools and took "college-bound" classes. Since Black students are disproportionately and unjustly tracked out of these classes, we received dangerous messages about "intelligence" and "race."

7. Most of us grew up in families and peer groups in which we avoided conversations about race and racism. We reached adulthood without learning how to speak about either of these things.

8. When conversations about race or racism could not be avoided, many of us learned to say things like, " I don't see color. I just see people."

9. Many of us went to colleges where Black students were vastly underrepresented. Because higher education remains de facto segregated, we again received false messages about "academic success" and "race."

10. Many of us studied education in college. And yet, even at the institutional level, Black students are underrepresented in teacher prep programs. While trying to learn how to teach Black students, we were isolated from our Black peers.

11. Many of us had our first experience talking about race and racism in that one "multicultural education" class we took in teacher prep. Some of us were uncomfortable and compensated with arrogance.

12. When conversations about race or racism made us uncomfortable, many of us thought things like, "I went to high school with Black people, took classes and played on teams with them. I don't have a problem with race."

13. When conversations about race or racism made us uncomfortable, many of us thought things like, "My family isn't from the South; we never owned slaves or benefitted from Jim Crow. White privilege isn't a part of my past."

14. When conversations about race or racism made us uncomfortable, many of us thought things like, "My family comes from a blue-collar background. We pulled ourselves up by our bootstraps. Every American has that same opportunity."

15. Despite our inexperience and discomfort reckoning with the realities of race and racism, many of us started our careers teaching in schools that were mostly Black. We assumed our well-meaning presence covered over our ignorance.

16. Some of us think that because we choose to work with Black children, problems of prejudice and implicit bias could not possibly apply to us.

https://educationpost.org/to-future-white-teachers-heres-a-resource-guide-so-you-dont-have-to-ask-your-co-workers-to-explain-racism/

17. Many of us refuse to allow news stories about race or racism to come up in our classrooms-even when a teenager like Trayvon Martin or Michael Brown is murdered in the streets.

18. If we teach math or science, many of us avoid talking about race or racism by thinking something like, "Math and science are universal languages. Culture and society have no place in my classroom."

19. If we teach liberal arts, many of us avoid talking about race or racism by thinking something like, "We have to stick to the curriculum or we won't get through everything. I have no time to talk about current events."

20. For some of us, we make an exception to our rule disallowing conversations about race or racism on or around MLK Day. Some years we also allow it on April 4.

21. When classroom conversations about race or racism cannot be avoided, many of us repeat a variation on the lesson we learned in childhood: " I don't see color. I just see students."

22. When conversations about race or racism cannot be avoided, many of us try to signal our virtue by working the conversation around to the fact that we voted for Obama.

23. When conversations about race or racism cannot be avoided, many of us say ignorant things like, "I know just how you feel."

24. Some of us have experienced discrimination in the past for one reason or another. When conversations about race or racism cannot be avoided, we try to drive the conversation with our own experience.

25. If a frustrated student accuses us of being racist, many of us panic and overreact. We will get too quiet or overly loud. Sometimes we will even try to punish the student.

https://educationpost.org/white-teachers-heres-how-to-handle-being-called-racist/

26. Many of us realize how little we know about race and racism when we first become friends with a Black person. Yet, we think this small exposure makes us automatic experts.

27. Some of us have grabbed the word "woke" and held on to it a little too tightly.

There is Hope for Change

It is reasonable to assume that right now there are tens of thousands of first-year White teachers working in classrooms with Black students. Perhaps you are one of them, and as you read through this list you likely winced more than a few items.

The good news is that there is hope. Growing up White is not an insurmountable barrier to being a successful teacher of Black students. It is an obstacle that will take intentionality to overcome, however. A naïve colorblindness will lead only to failure.

Address the items on this list and, equally important, add to it. There are far more than 27 ways for teachers like us to do wrong-tell me what I've missed. I know, unfortunately, that even in my 14th year, I will find some way to make new blunders as well. But the more we caution each other about our mistakes, the better chance we have to avoid the pitfalls we don't see coming until it's too late.

And then one day, maybe, a Black mother will walk into a classroom, see a White teacher, and smile all on her own-before that White teacher says even a word.

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27 Mistakes White Teachers of Black Students Make and How to Fix Them

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A few years back, I was in my room meeting parents during an open house, just days before the school year started. A woman walked in, looked up from her phone and locked eyes with me. I saw her face fall. "Is this your first year?"

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Critical Race Theory and Ethnic Studies FAQ

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Critical Race Theory and Ethnic Studies FAQ

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ADVOCATING FOR LGBTQ STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

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ADVOCATING FOR LGBTQ STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

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English Learners With Disabilities: Shining a Light on Dual-Identified Students

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English Learners With Disabilities: Shining a Light on Dual-Identified Students

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English Learners with Disabilities: Shining a Light on Dual-Identified Students

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An overview of the federal policies for identification of and services provided to English learners and students with disabilities.

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Inclusive Social Emotional Learning for Students with Disabilities

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Inclusive Social Emotional Learning for Students with Disabilities

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OUR RESEARCH

Learning and developing as a student is about more than just memorizing facts, being able to read and write, or solving math problems. Research shows that students learn best when they actively engage with content and with others in positive and meaningful ways. Students must also grow in areas of social and emotional development. Social-emotional learning (SEL), is the process through which students learn to cope with feelings, set goals, make decisions, and get along with - and feel empathy for - others. SEL is an embedded part of a whole child education, which is an approach that prioritizes the full scope of a child's needs.

Unfortunately, students with disabilities are often not fully considered in SEL initiatives. NCLD has been working hard to change the course of SEL to ensure it is developed in a way that is inclusive and equitable. We are excited to announce the release of these resources to help ensure more inclusive and equitable SEL. This work builds on the previous report co-authored with 7 other organizations: Exploring Intersectionality: Understanding Student Identity to Promote Equitable Social Emotional & Academic Development During the COVID-19 Pandemic. The new resources feature 7 principles for inclusive SEL, a parent advocacy toolkit, a state policy brief, and two case studies showcasing inclusive SEL practices.

SEL can be particularly beneficial for students with disabilities as it emphasizes relationships and social interactions, helping students to develop a sense of safety and belonging. In addition, distance learning has taken a heavy toll on students and families. SEL is important to rebuilding classroom relationships upon returning to in-person instruction and must be included to foster students' social, emotional, and mental health needs.

We hope you will join us in creating more inclusive and equitable SEL initiatives by using these new resources.

Download Report

To access the full report, please provide your information

Tell Congress: Pass the RISE Act

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Inclusive Social Emotional Learning for Students with Disabilities - NCLD

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Introduction: Learning and developing as a student is about more than just memorizing facts, being able to read and write, or solving math problems. Research shows that students learn best when they actively engage with content and with others in positive and meaningful ways. Students must also grow in areas of social and emotional [...]

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Whose Emotions Matter? Student Disability and Race Representation in USB SEL by the Numbers

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Whose Emotions Matter? Student Disability and Race Representation in USB SEL by the Numbers

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PSUSD Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (SEPAC)

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PSUSD Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (SEPAC)

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Parent Advisories / Special Education Parent Advisory Committee

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Young Adult Hispanic Heritage Month - San Francisco Public Library

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Young Adult Hispanic Heritage Month by ArapahoeStaff2 - a staff-created list : During National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15) we recognize the contributions made by and the important presence of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States and celebrate their heritage and culture.

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Browse this rich collection of picture books for children 3-9 years old. You'll meet writers, artists, musicians, and others who made a difference through their creativity and work. You'll also discover stories about families and everyday life in Hispanic communities, as well as books about joyful festivals and holidays.

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11 groundbreaking inventions from Latin America

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Great inventions from the Latin America region.

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The Official Web Page of the United Farm Workers of America

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Explore this page!

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LATINO AMERICANS is a landmark six-hour documentary featuring interviews with nearly 100 Latinos and more than 500 years of History.

LATINO AMERICANS is the first major documentary series for television to chronicle the rich and varied history and experiences of Latinos, who have helped shape North America over the last 500-plus years and have become, with more than 50 million people, the largest minority group in the U.S. The changing and yet repeating context of American history provides a backdrop for the drama of individual lives. It is a story of immigration and redemption, of anguish and celebration, of the gradual construction of a new American identity that connects and empowers millions of people today. Learn More...

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Latino Americans is a landmark three-part, six-hour documentary series that is set to air nationally on PBS in the fall of 2013. It is a story of immigration and redemption, of anguish and celebration, of the gradual construction of a new American identity that connects and empowers millions of people today.

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"I felt so bad that I quit the job," Dr. Sanchez remembers. "Then I began to realize that there was a lot of discrimination and prejudice against Mexican-Americans."

A couple of years later, when he 15, Dr. Sanchez started the Young Chicanos for Community Action in Monterey Park, California. He later changed the name to the Brown Berets, because he had actually purchased one, by chance, and wore it often. From then on, the grassroots group met at various locations, including the Boy's and Girl's Club and coffee shops, because they didn't want police to know their whereabouts. Dr. Sanchez, along with Carlos Montes, another organizer with the Brown Berets, began to take up causes such as police brutality, better education, and discrimination against the Latinx community. Their first protest was in 1967, when they picketed the sheriff's office in East L.A. to protest the killing of Latino men.

"We also started working on the problems of bad school conditions and the racist educational system," Montes said in a 2003 interview with Fight Back! News. "Our schools were old and in bad condition, with high drop-out - or push-out - rates, and racist administrators and teachers. Over time, we started agitating for bilingual education, better school conditions, Chicano studies, and more Chicano teachers. We attended community, school, and youth meetings to raise demands for better educational and school conditions."

That push for diversity and a better educational system is what led to the Chicano Blowouts in 1968, also known as the East L.A. Walkouts. It's estimated that 15,000 to 22,000 students participated in the walkouts. As a result of this massive protest, according to the Los Angeles Conservancy, the school district hired more Latinx educators, implemented bilingual classes and ethnic studies, and at UCLA, the Los Angeles Times reported, a year after the walkouts, Mexican-American student enrollment rose 1,800%.

The Brown Berets also launched the El Barrio Free Clinic, spearheaded by Gloria Arellanes, fought against the illegal occupation of Mexican land, and led the Chicano Moratorium - marches that took place in East L.A. between December 1969 and January 1971 that demanded civil rights for Latinx in California.

The movement in Southern California gained momentum in other parts of the country, too, where young Latinx also felt marginalized. Since the late 1960s, dozens of Brown Beret chapters have sprouted up across the United States.

While police brutality and discrimination are indeed prevalent issues in the Latinx community, Teen Vogue asked Dr. Sanchez why the Brown Berets aren't fighting for more causes that impact Latinx, including DACA and immigration. We've seen Latinx people at protests and demonstrations wearing brown berets, but the same momentum from the '60s isn't there.

"We want them to stop deporting children," Dr. Sanchez says. "But right now, we're just trying to get organized. We cannot be durable if we are not organized. We cannot be strong if we are not organized."

Dr. Sanchez adds that young people are just wearing the iconic hats for fashionable purposes and not for the actual cause of Latinx civil rights.

"They wear the brown beret and the brown-beret uniform and they don't do anything!" Dr. Sanchez says. "So, I'm like, 'No, you got to do something, and in order to have a group you have to have issues.' And I have a real difficult time because some of these groups just don't want issues, they just want to look nice."

The symbolic look of the brown beret still resonates with Latinx because it reflects our history and our fight for justice. However, several Latinx groups today, including Mijente and Movimiento Cosecha, embody the organizational strength that Dr. Sanchez speaks of. They may not be wearing the brown beret on their heads, but they possess its power.

Get the Teen Vogue Take. Sign up for the Teen Vogue weekly email.

Want more from Teen Vogue? Check this out: Who Was Jovita Idár, the Radical Muckraking Mexican-American Journalist?

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The Brown Berets Got Their Start After Police Violence

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"I felt so bad that I quit the job," Dr. Sanchez remembers. "Then I began to realize that there was a lot of discrimination and prejudice against Mexican-Americans." A couple of years later, when he 15, Dr. Sanchez started the Young Chicanos for Community Action in Monterey Park, California.

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Pew Research Center's Hispanic Trends Project

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For this analysis we surveyed 3,030 U.S. Hispanic adults in December 2019 as part of the 2019 National Survey of Latinos. We asked survey respondents about their awareness of the term Latinx and their views of the term. The sample includes 2,094 Hispanic adults who were members of Pew Research Center's American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. It also includes an oversample of 936 respondents sampled from Ipsos' KnowledgePanel, another online survey panel also recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. For the purposes of this report, references to foreign-born Hispanics include those born in Puerto Rico. Individuals born in Puerto Rico are U.S. citizens by birth. The survey was conducted in both English and Spanish.

See the Methodology section of this report for more details.

The terms Hispanic and Latino are used interchangeably in this report.

Latinx is a term used to describe people who are of or relate to Latin American origin or descent. It is a gender-neutral or nonbinary alternative to Latino or Latina.

U.S. born refers to persons born in the United States and those born in other countries to parents at least one of whom was a U.S. citizen.

Foreign born refers to persons born outside of the United States to parents neither of whom was a U.S. citizen. The terms foreign born and immigrant are used interchangeably in this report. For the purposes of this report, foreign born also includes those born in Puerto Rico. Although individuals born in Puerto Rico are U.S. citizens by birth, they are included among the foreign born for this report because they are born into a Spanish-dominant culture and because on many points their attitudes, views and beliefs are much closer to Hispanics born abroad than to Hispanics born in the 50 states or the District of Columbia, even those who identify themselves as being of Puerto Rican origin.

Second generation refers to people born in the 50 states or the District of Columbia with at least one first-generation, or immigrant, parent.

Third and higher generation refers to people born in the 50 states or the District of Columbia with both parents born in the 50 states or the District of Columbia.

Language dominance is a composite measure based on self-described assessments of speaking and reading abilities. Spanish-dominant people are more proficient in Spanish than in English (i.e., they speak and read Spanish "very well" or "pretty well" but rate their English-speaking and reading ability lower). Bilingual refers to people who are proficient in both English and Spanish. English-dominant people are more proficient in English than in Spanish.

Pan-ethnic labels describing the U.S. population of people tracing their roots to Latin America and Spain have been introduced over the decades, rising and falling in popularity. Today, the two dominant labels in use are Hispanic and Latino, with origins in the 1970s and 1990s respectively.

More recently, a new, gender-neutral, pan-ethnic label, Latinx, has emerged as an alternative that is used by some news and entertainment outlets, corporations, local governments and universities to describe the nation's Hispanic population.

However, for the population it is meant to describe, only 23% of U.S. adults who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino have heard of the term Latinx, and just 3% say they use it to describe themselves, according to a nationally representative, bilingual survey of U.S. Hispanic adults conducted in December 2019 by Pew Research Center.

The emergence of Latinx coincides with a global movement to introduce gender-neutral nouns and pronouns into many languages whose grammar has traditionally used male or female constructions. In the United States, the first uses of Latinx appeared more than a decade ago. It was added to a widely used English dictionary in 2018, reflecting its greater use.

Yet the use of Latinx is not common practice, and the term's emergence has generated debate about its appropriateness in a gendered language like Spanish. Some critics point to its origins among U.S. English speakers, saying it ignores the Spanish language and its gendered form. Still, there are examples of the term's use in Spanish in the U.S. and abroad. Meanwhile, others see Latinx as a gender- and LGBTQ-inclusive term, reflecting a broader movement within the U.S. around gender identity.

While only about a quarter of U.S. Hispanics say they have heard the term Latinx, awareness and use vary across different subgroups. Young Hispanics, ages 18 to 29, are among the most likely to have heard of the term - 42% say they have heard of it, compared with 7% of those ages 65 or older. Hispanics with college experience are more likely to be aware of Latinx than those without college experience; about four-in-ten Hispanic college graduates (38%) say they have heard of Latinx, as do 31% of those with some college experience. By comparison, just 14% of those with a high school diploma or less are aware of the term.

In addition, the U.S. born are more likely than the foreign born to have heard the term (32% vs. 16%), and Hispanics who are predominantly English speakers or bilingual are more likely than those who mainly speak Spanish to say the same (29% for both vs. 7%).

Hispanics who identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party are more likely to have heard of Latinx than those who identify with or lean toward the Republican Party (29% vs. 16%).

Awareness of the term Latinx does not necessarily translate into use. Across many demographic subgroups, the share of Hispanics who say they use Latinx to describe their own identity is significantly lower than the share who say they have heard it. Use is among the highest for Hispanic women ages 18 to 29 - 14% say they use it, a considerably higher share than the 1% of Hispanic men in the same age group who say they use it.

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The emergence of Hispanic, Latino and Latinx

Throughout the last half-century in the U.S., different pan-ethnic terms have arisen to describe Americans who trace their roots to Latin America and Spain.

The term Hispanic was first used by the U.S. government in the 1970s after Mexican American and other Hispanic organizations lobbied the federal government to collect data on the population. Subsequently, the U.S Congress passed Public Law 94-311 in 1976, mandating the collection of information about U.S. residents of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central American, South American and other Spanish-speaking country origins. The law called for the U.S. Census Bureau to create a broader category that encompassed all people who identified having roots from these countries. The term Hispanic was first used in a full census in 1980.

The 1990s brought resistance to the term Hispanic, as it embraced a strong connection with Spain, and an alternative term emerged: Latino. By 1997, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget issued a directive adding the term Latino to government publications. The two terms are used interchangeably, with Latino first appearing on the U.S. census in 2000, alongside Hispanic.

More recently, Latinx has emerged as an alternative to Hispanic and Latino. Online searches for the term among the general U.S. population appeared online in the early 2000s. But the first substantial rise in searches (relative to all online searches) appeared in June 2016 following a shooting at Pulse nightclub, an LGBTQ dance club in Orlando, Florida, that was hosting its Latin Night on the date of the attack. In subsequent years, the term's use on social media by celebrities, politicians and grassroots organizations has grown. In addition, some academic centers at community colleges, public universities and Ivy League universities are replacing Latino program names that were established in previous decades with new Latinx-focused names.

In more than 15 years of polling by Pew Research Center, half of Americans who trace their roots to Spanish-speaking Latin America and Spain have consistently said they have no preference for either Hispanic or Latino as a term to describe the group. And when one term is chosen over another, the term Hispanic has been preferred to Latino. Importantly, the same surveys show, country of origin labels (such as Mexican or Cuban or Ecuadorian) are preferred to these pan-ethnic terms among the population they are meant to describe.

[/callout]

Google searches for Latinx rising in U.S., but trail far behind Latina, Latino and Hispanic

The relative popularity of Latinx in online searches in the U.S. has increased since 2016, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Google Trends data. While its earliest Google searches extend back to the early 2000s, the highest monthly relative number of searches for Latinx occurred in June 2020, surpassing a previous peak in October 2019.

Compared with June 2020, monthly Google searches for Latinx rose substantially for the first time in June 2016, following the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida.

Despite its increase in popularity, Google searches for Latinx remain below those for Latina, Latino and Hispanic over the past decade. Among these terms, Latina has shown the highest popularity, though its share of searches has been falling relative to its peak in June 2014.

Should Latinx be adopted as a pan-ethnic term for U.S. Hispanics?

Among those aware of Latinx, one-in-three say it should be used to describe the nation's Hispanic or Latino population.

While some Hispanics say Latinx should be used as a pan-ethnic term, few say they prefer it over others. A majority (61%) say they prefer Hispanic to describe the Hispanic or Latino population in the U.S., and 29% say they prefer Latino. Meanwhile, just 4% say they prefer Latinx to describe the Hispanic or Latino population.

Preference for Latinx as a pan-ethnic term is higher among those who are aware of it - 10% in this group say they prefer Latinx. Yet even among those aware of Latinx, the terms Hispanic (50%) and Latino (31%) are preferred.

In their own words: What does Latinx mean to Hispanics?

When asked in an open-ended question what Latinx means in their own words, 42% of those who have heard the term describe it as a gender-neutral one. As one 21-year-old woman said, "Latinx is a more inclusive term to use for those who do not choose to identify with a certain gender. The terms Latino and Latina are very limiting for certain people."

Other responses from the open-ended question offer other descriptions of Latinx and reactions to it. For example, 12% of respondents who had heard of Latinx express disagreement or dislike of the term. Some described the term as an "anglicism" of the Spanish language, while others say the term is "not representative of the larger Latino community."

Among other responses, 12% say Latinx is a term about being Hispanic or Latino, while 9% of those aware of Latinx say it is an LGBTQ community inclusive term. And 6% of respondents who have heard of Latinx say it is a new, alternative or replacement term for Latino.

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Luis Noe-Bustamante, Lauren Mora and Mark Hugo Lopez

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About One-in-Four U.S. Hispanics Have Heard of Latinx, but Just 3% Use It

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The term Latinx has emerged in recent years as a gender-neutral alternative to the pan-ethnic terms Latino, Latina and Hispanic. However, awareness of Latinx is relatively low among the population it is meant to describe.

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National Hispanic Heritage Month, which begins each year on Sept. 15, celebrates U.S. Latinos, their culture and their history. Started in 1968 by Congress as Hispanic Heritage Week, it was expanded to a month in 1988. The celebration begins in the middle rather than the start of September because it coincides with national independence days in several Latin American countries: Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica celebrate theirs on Sept. 15, followed by Mexico on Sept. 16, Chile on Sept. 18 and Belize on Sept 21.

Here are some key facts about the nation's Latino population by age, geography and origin groups.

The U.S. Hispanic population reached 60.6 million in 2019, up from 50.7 million in 2010. This makes Hispanics the nation's second-fastest-growing racial or ethnic group after Asian Americans. Hispanics made up 18% of the U.S. population in 2019, up from 16% in 2010 and just 5% in 1970.

The share of U.S. Hispanics with college experience has increased since 2010. About 41% of U.S. Hispanic adults ages 25 and older had at least some college experience in 2018, up from 36% in 2010. The share who have a bachelor's degree or more education also increased during this period, from 13% to 17%.

The share of Latinos in the U.S. who speak English proficiently is growing. In 2018, 71% of Latinos ages 5 and older spoke English proficiently, up from 59% in 2000. U.S.-born Latinos are driving this growth, as their share on this measure has grown from 81% to 90% during this time. By comparison, 37% of Latino immigrants spoke English proficiently in 2018, a percentage that has increased only slightly since 1980.

People of Mexican origin account for slightly over 60% (37 million) of the nation's overall Hispanic population as of 2018. Those of Puerto Rican origin are the next largest group, at 5.8 million (another 3.2 million live on the island); their numbers have been growing partly due to an increase in net migration from Puerto Rico to the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Six other Hispanic origin groups in the U.S. have roughly 1 million or more people each: Cubans, Salvadorans, Dominicans, Guatemalans, Colombians and Hondurans.

The fastest population growth among U.S. Latinos has come among those with origins in Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala and Honduras. From 2010 to 2018, the Venezuelan population in the U.S. increased 106% to 492,000, by far the fastest growth rate. Dominicans and Guatemalans each saw increases of 37%, followed by a 34% increase among the Honduran population. Puerto Ricans, the second-largest origin group overall, saw their population jump by 23%, to 5.8 million in 2018.

By contrast, the number of people of Mexican origin grew by only 12% from 2010 to 2018, among the lowest growth rates in the top 10 origin groups. At 6%, the Ecuadorian population saw the slowest growth rate.

Four in-five Latinos are U.S. citizens. As of 2018, about 80% of Latinos living in the country are U.S. citizens, up from 74% in 2010. This includes people born in the U.S. and its territories (including Puerto Rico), people born abroad to American parents and immigrants who have become naturalized citizens. Among the origin groups, virtually all Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens. Spaniards (91%), Panamanians (89%) and Mexicans (80%) have some of the highest citizenship rates, while Hondurans (53%) and Venezuelans (51%) have the lowest rates.

The share of U.S. Latinos who are immigrants is on the decline and varies by origin group. From 2007 to 2018, the number of Latino immigrants increased slightly, from 18.0 million to 19.8 million. But they made up a declining share of the Latino population - decreasing from 40% to 33% during this span as the number of U.S.-born Latinos increased and the arrival of new immigrants slowed.

Fewer than a third of Mexican-origin Latinos (30%) are foreign born. That's far lower than the shares among the other major groups by population - Colombians (61%), Guatemalans (61%), Hondurans (61%), Salvadorans (56%), Cubans (56%) and Dominicans (54%). Each of these groups saw the immigrant share of their populations decline from 2007 to 2018. People born in Puerto Rico are U.S. citizens at birth.

A record 32 million Latinos are projected to be eligible to vote in 2020, up from 27.3 million in 2016. The 2020 election will mark the first time that Hispanics will be the largest racial and ethnic minority group in the electorate, accounting for just over 13% of eligible voters.

Five states are home to two-thirds of all Latino eligible voters in 2018. California (7.9 million) alone holds about a quarter of the U.S. Latino electorate. It is followed by Texas (5.6 million), Florida (3.1 million), New York (2.0 million) and Arizona (1.2 million).

U.S. Latinos make up 43% of eligible voters in New Mexico, the highest share for any state. This is followed by California (30%), Texas (30%), Arizona (24%) and Florida (20%).

A quarter of Latino eligible voters are naturalized citizens. As of 2018, that amounted to 7.5 million Latino immigrants who are eligible to vote, more than any other racial or ethnic group.

Florida and Texas are home to the highest shares of Latinos among immigrant eligible voters. About 54% of naturalized citizens who are eligible voters in Florida are Latino, the highest in the nation. Texas (52%) is the only other state where Latinos make up at least half of immigrant eligible voters.

Nationally, U.S. Hispanics make up 34% of naturalized citizens who are eligible to vote.
Note: This is an update of a post originally published on Sept. 16, 2014.

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Key facts about U.S. Latinos for National Hispanic Heritage Month

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National Hispanic Heritage Month, which begins each year on Sept. 15, celebrates U.S. Latinos, their culture and their history. Started in 1968 by Congress as Hispanic Heritage Week, it was expanded to a month in 1988.

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What Is the Difference Between Hispanic and Latino?

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While Hispanic and Latino are often used interchangeably, one refers to language and the other to location. Learn the definition of each term and when to use them.

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Recognizing Privilege: Power To All People

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Recognizing Privilege: Power To All People

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Recognizing Privilege: Power to All People  | Michael Yates | TEDxTexasStateUniversity

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While the terms equity and equality may sound similar, the implementation of one versus the other can lead to dramatically different outcomes for marginalized people.

Equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities. Equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome.

In the illustration below, two individuals have unequal access to a system - in this case, the tree that provides fruit. With equal support from evenly distributed tools, their access to the fruit still remains unequal. The equitable solution, however, allocates the exact resources that each person needs to access the fruit, leading to positive outcomes for both individuals.

While the tree appears to be a naturally occurring system, it's critical to remember that social systems aren't naturally inequitable - they've been intentionally designed to reward specific demographics for so long that the system's outcomes may appear unintentional but are actually rooted discriminatory practices and beliefs.

Source: "Addressing Imbalance," by Tony Ruth for the 2019 Design in Tech Report.
Equity is a solution for addressing imbalanced social systems. Justice can take equity one step further by fixing the systems in a way that leads to long-term, sustainable, equitable access for generations to come.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), equity is defined as "the absence of avoidable or remediable differences among groups of people, whether those groups are defined socially, economically, demographically or geographically." Therefore, as the WHO notes, health inequities involve more than lack of equal access to needed resources to maintain or improve health outcomes. They also refer to difficulty when it comes to "inequalities that infringe on fairness and human rights norms."

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) refers to health equity as "when everyone has the opportunity to be as healthy as possible." As such, equity is a process and equality is an outcome of that process. Or, as the Race Matters Institute describes, "The route to achieving equity will not be accomplished through treating everyone equally. It will be achieved by treating everyone equitably, or justly according to their circumstances."

Understanding the difference between health equality and health equity is important to public health to ensure that resources are directed appropriately - as well as supporting the ongoing process of meeting people where they are. Inherent to this process is the promotion of diversity in teams and personnel, public health practice, research methods and other related factors. For these reasons, providing the same type and number of resources to all is not enough. In order to reduce the health disparities gap, the underlying issues and individual needs of underserved and vulnerable populations must be effectively addressed.

The Difference Between Equity and Equality

"The route to achieving equity will not be accomplished through treating everyone equally. It will be achieved by treating everyone justly according to their circumstances."

A city cuts the budget for 25 community centers by reducing the operational hours for all centers by the same amount at the same times.

A community meeting, where all members of the community are invited, about a local environmental health concern is held in English though English is not the primary language for 25% of the residents.

Examples of EqualityAll public schools in a community have computer labs with the same number of computers and hours of operation during school hours.

The city determines which times and how many hours communities actually need to use their community centers and reduces hours for centers that aren't used as frequently.

Examples of EquityThe community leaders hire translators to attend the meeting or offer an additional meeting held in another language.

Examples of EquityComputer labs in lower income neighborhoods have more computers and printers, as well as longer hours of operation, as some students don't have access to computers or internet at home.

There are many successful initiatives in communities around the United States where specific steps have been taken to make approaches to health more equitable (PDF, 4.9MB), according to the CDC. Attempts to achieve equity have involved identifying the individualized needs of specific populations and implementing steps to help meet those needs. Below are three examples of public health initiatives.

Project Brotherhood

Project Brotherhood - a clinic for Black men at Woodlawn Health Center in Chicago - was created through the CDC's Healthy Communities Program. The clinic was formed by a Black physician and a nurse-epidemiologist who were interested in better addressing the health needs of Black men. Partnering with a Black social science researcher, they conducted focus groups with Black men to learn about their experiences with the health care system and met with other Black staff at the clinic. As a result of this research, Project Brotherhood employed a number of specific strategies, including:

Offering free health care, with optional appointments and evening clinic hours, to make health care more accessible to Black men.

Providing health seminars and courses specifically for Black men.

Employing a barber to perform free haircuts after receiving health education training to be a health advocate for Black men whom the clinic staff could not reach.

Providing fatherhood classes to help Black men become more effectively involved in the lives of their children.

Building "a culturally competent workforce able to create a safe, respectful, male-friendly environment and to overcome mistrust in Black communities toward the traditional health care system."

Organizing physician participation in support group discussions to enhance understanding between providers and patients.

According to the organization, positive outcomes were achieved: "In January 1999, Project Brotherhood averaged four medical visits and eight group participants per week. By September 2005, the average grew to 27 medical visits and 35 group participants per week...." By 2007, Project Brotherhood had provided service to more than 13,000 people since the initiative started and created a health services environment designed specifically for Black men where they would be respected, heard and empowered, thus helping to reduce the health disparities experienced by this population.

Poder es Salud

Poder es Salud (Power for Health) is a partnership involving nonprofits, government organizations, local health care providers and several community- and faith-based groups. This partnership was formed to address social determinants of health and reduce health disparities in Black and Latino communities in Multnomah County, Oregon, by employing an approach to "increase social capital through durable social networks for the purpose of facilitating the achievement of community goals and health outcomes." This was achieved through three specific strategies:

Conducting community-based participatory research to support cross-cultural partnerships.

Implementing popular education, which involves mutual learning and analysis.

Providing community health workers with specialized training "in leadership, local politics, governance structure, advocacy, community organizing, popular education, and health."

Program effectiveness was reflected in follow-up surveys that showed "significant improvements in social support, self-rated health and mental health among community members that participated in the interventions with community health workers who use popular education."

Project BRAVE: Building and Revitalizing an Anti-Violence Environment

Project BRAVE is a school-based intervention that builds on existing relationships among schools, community members, community-based organizations and local researchers. In doing so, Project BRAVE supports preexisting opportunities for students to share their experiences with violence and to take part in community change to reduce it. The program's effectiveness was evidenced by an increase in school attendance, which is an important social determinant of community health.

Using Equity and Equality in Public Health Practice

Understanding the difference between equity and equality is a key component in the effort to reduce health disparities among vulnerable populations. The good news is that public health officials can take specific steps to help address this confusion in their own communities - including using educational resources such as the CDC's Defining and Measuring Disparities, Inequities, and Inequalities in the Healthy People Initiative (PDF, 391KB) and group exercises such as those suggested by JustHealthAction (PDF, 637KB), in which teams can work together to differentiate between equity and equality.

Additional Resources about Equity and Equality

Sources:

1 "Racial Equality or Racial Equity? The Difference it Makes," Race Matters Institute. 2014. Accessed Oct. 15, 2020. http://viablefuturescenter.org/racemattersinstitute/2014/04/02/racial-equality-or-racial-equity-the-difference-it-makes/

2 "How are Equity and Equality Different?" Just Health Action, 2010. Accessed Oct. 15, 2010. http://justhealthaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/JHA-Lesson-Plan-3-How-are-equity-and-equality-different-final.pdf
Citation for this content: MPH@GW, the George Washington University online Master of Public Health program

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Equity vs. Equality: What's the Difference?

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Knowing the difference between equity and equality is critical to helping communities overcome health disparities.

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Cultural sensitivity is something we all like to think we have. It is clearly tied to empathy - the capacity to put ourselves into another person's shoes and see the world from his viewpoint. Cultural sensitivity is an essential quality for peaceful and harmonious living in a society that admits, within the law, many different ways of thinking and behaving. Low cultural sensitivity is associated with authoritarian personalities and also with narrow and limited experience of the world. While it is easy to detect low cultural sensitivity in others, it is not so easy to pin it down in ourselves. This questionnaire, however, if answered honestly and accurately, will give you some pointers.

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Cultural sensitivity is something we all like to think we have. It is clearly tied to empathy - the capacity to put ourselves into another person's shoes and see the world from his viewpoint. Cultural sensitivity is an essential quality for peaceful and harmonious living in a society that admits, within the law, many different ways of thinking and behaving.

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California Student Safety and Violence Prevention Act of 2000

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The 9 Types Of Intelligence - What's Yours?

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30 essential LGBTQ+ books for YA readers

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We've put together a list of 30 recommended YA books featuring LGBTQ+ characters and themes. We include books from Madeline Miller, Leigh Bardugo, John Green, and many more.

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All Are Welcome. Alexandra Penfold. (Pre-K - 1) Follow a diverse group of children from all kinds of families through a day at school, where everyone is welcomed with open arms. It lets young children know that no matter what, they have a place, they have a space, they are welcome in their school. Lesson Plan.

Families. Shelley Rotner and Sheila M. Kelly. (Pre-K - K) Big or small, similar or different, there are all kinds of families featured in the many photos. This inclusive look can help children see beyond their own experiences and begin to understand others. Lesson Plan.

Families, Families, Families! Suzanne and Max Lang. (Pre-K - K) A host of silly animals represent all kinds of families. Depicted as portraits, framed and hung, these goofy creatures offer a warm celebration of family love. Lesson Plan.

The Family Book. Todd Parr. (Pre-K - K) All kinds of families are celebrated in a funny, silly and reassuring way. Includes adoptive families, stepfamilies, single-parent families, two-mom and two-dad families and families with a mom and a dad. Quirky humor and bright, childlike illustrations. Lesson Plan.

Family Is a Family Is a Family. Sara O'Leary. (Pre-K - K) When a teacher asks the children in her class to think about what makes their families special, the answers are all different in many ways- but the same in the one way that matters most of all. Lesson Plan.

The Great Big Book of Families. Mary Hoffman. (Pre-K - 3) Features all kinds of families and their lives together. Each spread showcases one aspect of home life - from houses and holidays, to schools and pets, to feelings and family trees. Lesson Plan.

Picture Books: LGBTQ Family and Who You Love

The Adventures of Honey and Leon. Alan Cumming and Grant Shaffer. (Pre-K - 1) The two rescue dogs shadow their dads on a trip across the sea, keeping them out of danger at every turn! How did their dads survive without Honey and Leon's protection for this long?

And Tango Makes Three. Justin Richardson & Peter Parnell. (1-3) Penguins Roy and Silo at New York's Central Park Zoo, keep putting a rock in their nest and try to hatch it. The zookeeper gives them a real egg that needs care. The penguins take turns sitting on ituntil it hatches, and Tango is born. Lesson Plan.

Baby's First Words and Mis primeras palabras. Christiane Engel. (Baby - Toddler) Featuring a family with two dads. Includes over 100 words designed to support the way babies naturally learn language - and to start conversations! Plus, search for the silly woolly mammoth on every page!

The Bravest Knight Who Ever Lived. Daniel Errico, (Pre-K - 1) Follow Cedric on his journey from a humble pumpkin farmer to a full-fledged knight. In the end, will he follow his heart, and prove that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is choose for yourself how your fairy tale ends? Made into a TV series on Hulu.

The Different Dragon. Jennifer Bryan. (K - 1) Shows how the wonderful curiosity and care of a little boy, with some help from his two moms, can lead to magical places with a dragon who is tired of being tough. Lesson Plan.

Donovan's Big Day. Lesléa Newman, (Pre-K - 2) Captures the excitement of a young boy as he and his extended family prepare for the boy's two moms' wedding. A picture book about love, family, and marriage.

The Gay Rights Movement (Movements That Matter). Eric Braun. (3 - 5) What has changed throughout the history of the gay rights movement? Learn about the key people and events that have paved the way for the modern gay rights movement. Lesson Plan.

Harriet Gets Carried Away. Jessie Sima. (Toddler - K) Harriet, an African American girl, with two dads loves costumes and can get a little carried away! A fun story about remembering where you belong, no matter how far you roam, or what you're wearing when you get there.

Heather Has Two Mommies. 25th Anniversary Edition. Lesléa Newman. (Pre-K - K) Heather's favorite number is two. She has two arms, two legs, and two pets. And she also has two mommies. As school begins, Heather sees that, "the most important thing about a family is that all the people in it love one another."

Home at Last. Vera B. Williams and Chris Raschka. (1 - 3) After Lester is adopted by Daddy Albert and Daddy Rich, he develops a big problem-he can't fall asleep. It's the sweet dog, Wincka, who finally solves the problem and helps Lester feels home at last.

I am Jazz. Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings. (K - 5) From the time she was two years old, Jazz knew she was a girl, even though others saw her as a boy. She loved pink and dressing up as a mermaid and didn't feel like herself in boys' clothing. Based on the real-life experiences of Jazz Jennings. Lesson Plan.

Keesha's South African Adventure. Cheril N Clarke and Monica Bey-Clarke. (Pre-K - 2) After learning about South Africa in school, the inquisitive and lighthearted Keesha dreams of going to see it for herself. She gets the surprise of a lifetime when her two moms decide to take her there.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Presents a Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo. Jill Twiss and Marlon Bundo. (K - 2) Marlon Bundo is a Very Special boy bunny who falls in love with another boy bunny. He was lonely living with his Grampa, Mike Pence - the Vice President. But on this Very Special Day, Marlon's life is about to change forever. Lesson Plan.

Maide n Voyage. Jaimee Poipoi. Adam Reynolds & Chaz Harris. (Pre-K - 1) When a fisherman's daughter inherits a map and joins the crew of a courageous female captain, a bond between them soon forms into love. Pursuing them on the high seas adventure is a fierce band of pirates, bewitched by a wicked Queen.

Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag. Rob Sanders. (1 - 3) Trace the life of the Gay Pride Flag, from its beginnings in 1978 with social activist Harvey Milk and designer Gilbert Baker to its spanning of the globe and its role in today's world. A Junior Library Guild Selection. Lesson Plan.

Prince & Knight. Daniel Haack (Pre-K - 1) A prince searched near and far for a bride. When his lands were threatened by a dragon, the prince raced back to protect his kingdom and was met by a brave knight in a suit of brightly shining armor. Together they fought the dragon and discovered that special something the prince was looking for all along.

Stella Brings the Family. Miriam B. Schiffer. (Pre-K - 1) Stella's class is having a Mother's Day celebration, but what's a girl with two daddies to do? Fortunately, Stella finds a unique solution to her party problem in this sweet story about love, acceptance, and the true meaning of family. Lesson Plan.

A Tale of Two Daddies. Vanita Oelschlager. (Pre-K - 1) A young girl answers a friend's questions about what it is like to have two fathers. The boy asks straightforward questions. The story ends with simply, "Who is your dad when you're sad and need some love?" Both, of course. Also see, A Tale of Two Mommies.

Middle Grade Books: LGBTQ Family and Who You Love

Also Known as Elvis. James Howe. (4 - 7) Skeezie's got the leather jacket of a tough guy, but a heart of gold. While stuck at home for the summer taking care of his sisters and working five days a week to help out his mom, he navigates first crushes and tough choices about family and friends. Final book in The Misfits series.

Ashes to A sheville. Sarah Dooley. (5 - 7) After Mama Lacy's death, Fella was forced to move in with her grandmother while her sister Zoey stayed with Mama Shannon. One night, Zany shows up determined to fulfill Mama Lacy's dying wish: to have her ashes spread at the last place they were all happy as a family. So, the sisters take off on a wild road trip.

The Best Man. Richard Peck. (3 - 5) With humor and insight, Newbery Medalist, Richard Peck, follows a boy from elementary school to middle school navigating school and family dynamics. Starts with a wedding disaster and ends with a great one.

Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-A-Lot. Dan Pilkey. (2 - 4) When George and Harold try to avert disaster, they travel into the future and seek the help of their adult selves. Harold is pictured with his husband and their kids.

Drama. Raina Telgemeier. (5 - 8) Graphic novel through drama - a play - and drama between characters explores middle school feelings with boyfriends and girlfriends, and boyfriends and boyfriends.

Drum Roll, Please. Lisa Jenn Bigelow. (3 - 7) This summer brings big changes for Melly: her parents split up just before she goes to Camp Rockaway, her best friend ditches her, and she finds herself falling for a girl at camp. To top it off, Melly's not sure she has what it takes to be a real rock 'n' roll drummer.

Gay & Lesbian History for Kids: The Century-Long Struggle for LGBT Rights. Jerome Pohlen. (5 - 9) This book puts the historic struggle for LGBTQ equality into perspective Given today's news, it would be easy to get the impression that the campaign for LGBTQ equality is a recent development. This resource helps put recent events into context.

The House of Hades. Rick Riordan. (4 - 6) In the fourth installment of the Heroes of Olympus series, Demigod Nico comes out and admits he is in love with Percy. The topic continues into The Blood of Olympus as he develops a crush on a counselor at Camp Half-Blood.

Hurricane Child. Kheryn Callender. (4 - 8) Feeling lonely and bullied daily with cruel remarks about her dark skin tone, Caroline finally befriends a new student, Kalinda. As Caroline develops a crush on Kalinda, they work together to find Caroline's mother.

Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World. Ashley Herring Blake. (5 - 7) In the wake of a destructive tornado, one girl develops feelings for another in this stunning, tender novel about emerging identity.

The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher. Dana Alison Levy. (3 - 5) From camping trips to scary tales told in the dark, from new schools to old friends, from imaginary cheetahs to very real skunks, the Fletchers' school year-as always-is anything but boring. Meet the Fletchers: four boys, two dads, and one new neighbor who just might ruin everything. Continues with The Family Fletcher Takes Rock Island.

The Misfits. James Howe. (6 - 9) Four best friends try to survive seventh grade in the face of all-too-frequent taunts based on their weight, height, intelligence and sexual orientation/gender expression. The characters, including an open and unapologetically gay boy, are not cast as victims, but as self-empowered agents of change who will stand as solid role models. With a focus on individual characters from The Misfits check out Totally Joe, Addie on the Inside, and Also Known as Elvis.

The Mysterious Edge of the Heroic World. E. L. Konigsburg. ( 5 - 7) Two boys find themselves caught up in a story that links a sketch, a young boy's life, an old man's reminiscence, and a painful secret dating back to the outrages of Nazi Germany. Includes revelations about the victimization of artists and gays during the Holocaust.

Not Your Sidekick. C.B. Lee. (5 - 8) Welcome to Andover, where superpowers are common, but internships are complicated. On the upside, Jessica gets to work with her longtime secret crush, Abby. But, with a sudden and dangerous turn, she uncovers a plot larger than heroes and villains altogether. Sequel: Not Your Villain.

The Pants Project. Cat Clarke. (3 - 6) Liv knows he was always meant to be a boy but he hasn't told anyone yet - not even his two moms. Now, his new school has a terrible dress code, he has to wear skirts! The only way for Liv to get what he wants is to go after it himself with a mission to change the policy and his life.

The Parker Inheritance. Varian Johnson. (3 - 6) Candice discovers a mysterious old letter about an injustice from decades ago. With the help of Brandon, she begins to decipher the clues to a story that leads them deep into their South Carolina town's history-a history full of ugly deeds and forgotten heroes. Good historical detail and LGBT characters included.

The Popularity Papers: Research for the Social Improvement and General Betterment of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang. Amy Ignatow. (4 - 6) Two fifth-grade best friends are determined to uncover the secrets of popularity by observing, recording, discussing, and replicating the behaviors of the "cool" girls. Notebook format with a lot of illustrations. Julie has two dads. There are seven books in the series. The second book specifically looks at bullying.

Princess Princess Ever After. Katie O'Neill. (2 - 5) When the heroic princess Amira rescues the kind-hearted princess Sadie from her tower prison, neither expects to find a true friend in the bargain. They join forces to defeat a jealous sorceress while realizing their happy ever after is with each other.

Riding Freedom. Pam Muñoz Ryan. (4 - 6) A fictionalized account of the true story of Charley (Charlotte) Parkhurst who ran away from an orphanage, lived as a boy, moved to California, drove stagecoaches and continued to live as a man. Spanish edition: Un caballo llamado Libertad.

The Stars Beneath Our Feet. David Barclay Moore. (5 - 9) A boy tries to steer a safe path through the projects in Harlem in the wake of his brother's death. Then Lolly's mother's girlfriend brings him a gift that will change everything: two enormous bags filled with Legos.

Zenobia July. Lisa Bunker. (5 - 9) Zenobia July is starting a new life in Maine with her aunts. People used to tell her she was a boy; now she's able to live openly as the girl she always knew she was. When someone anonymously posts hateful memes on her school's website, Zenobia knows she's the one with the hacking skills to solve the mystery.

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Great Diverse LGBTQ Inclusive Picture & Middle Grade Books

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Up-to-date recommended diverse children's books - featuring LGBTQ families and who you love. Find a list with top recommendations and extended lists of picture books and middle grade books. Check out some lesson plans to go along with the books.

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Planned Parenthood Federation of America is a nonprofit organization that provides sexual health care in the United States and globally.

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Supporting the LGBT youth of the Coachella Valley

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lesbian palm springs gay trans transgender queer events

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LGBTQ Community Center in the Valley. Events, Classes, Mental Health, Food Bank, Medicare Counseling, Legal Aid

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10 Ways to Be an Ally & a Friend

10 Ways to Be an Ally & a Friend

Be a listener.

Be open-minded.

Be willing to talk.

Be inclusive and invite LGBT friends to hang out with your friends and family.

Don't assume that all your friends and co-workers are straight. Someone close to you could be looking for support in their coming-out process. Not making assumptions will give them the space they need.

Anti-LGBT comments and jokes are harmful. Let your friends, family and co-workers know that you find them offensive.

Confront your own prejudices and bias, even if it is uncomfortable to do so.

Defend your LGBT friends against discrimination.

Believe that all people, regardless of gender identity and sexual orientation, should be treated with dignity and respect.

If you see LGBT people being misrepresented in the media, contact us at glaad.org.

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10 Ways to Be an Ally & a FriendBe a listener.Be open-minded.Be willing to talk.Be inclusive and invite LGBT friends to hang out with your friends and family.Don't assume that all your friends and co-workers are straight. Someone close to you could be looking for support in their coming-out process.

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"I was worried about my parents not accepting me for who I am," recalls Katie Green, who identifies as queer and came out to her family in her early twenties. "I was worried they would stop loving me."

Green's worries are echoed by many LGBTQ teens and young adults facing the prospect of coming out to parents whose reaction they are less than sure about. Even when parents are likely to be understanding, coming out can be a source of intense stress and anxiety.

If you're the parent of a child who you think might be LGBTQ, but who hasn't come out to you, you in turn might worry about what your role should be. What effect will your response have on your child's mental health and well-being? What does your child need to hear?

"The most important thing is just being supportive," says Paul Mitrani, MD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Child Mind Institute. "When people feel loved and supported, they are more capable. They have greater resilience."

"The best possible scenario in my opinion," says Green, "is nothing changes - you're still the same person, people just know more about you now, being LGBTQ is just one aspect of your life. Being reaffirmed in knowing you are loved for who you are is powerful."

How to be supportive

Parents may have mixed feelings about finding that they have an LGBTQ child. This could be because they're worried about how the child will fare in their community - will they be bullied in school or discriminated against in the workplace? - or because they have religious reservations. But whatever your feelings are, Dr. Mitrani urges, you still want to have the same approach: "You want to err on the side of being empathetic and being supportive."

If a parent is very distressed about a child being LGBTQ, Dr. Mitrani urges them not to express those feelings to the child. Talking about it with a support group like PFLAG, someone in your church or congregation, or a therapist could be helpful for you and your child, too. You may have strong feelings, he adds, "but as a parent you always have to come back to see what's best for your child."

Having a parent that a child feels they can be honest with is important both to your child's well-being and to your relationship, in the short- and long-term.

With children, especially adolescents, it's crucial to keep communication open, Dr. Mitrani notes. "You want the message to be, 'I'm glad you told me,' and 'Help me understand what's going on,' as opposed to immediately shutting the communication down."

Open communication, in which parents listen without judgment, is a form of validation for the child, adds Lauren Latella, PhD, a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute. "If parents either minimize the importance of the child coming out, or jump right into problem solving," she says, "it can leave the child feeling undermined."

Above all, make sure your child knows that you love them and are there for them no matter what. Dr. Mitrani suggests language like: "I'm really glad that we can discuss this because we want to make sure that you're safe and that you're supported. And whatever decisions you need to make we want to be the best ones for you."

Keeping kids safe

As a parent you may be worried about how your child will be treated, at school and in settings where LGBTQ people are not welcome, and how they will handle hostility, if they encounter it. Dr. Mitrani suggests opening the conversation by exploring whether the child is concerned about not being accepted or being targeted for bullying, as opposed to saying, "This is going to be harder for you."

The child might say, "No, everybody already knows and they're supportive and the teachers are great." Or they might alert you to a lack of support.

"If they're in school, you need to understand what your school's policies are," says Dr. Mitrani. "If you get the sense that they won't be supportive of your child, you either need to make a stand and advocate for those supports or consider changing their school to someplace where they will be safe and protected."

When parents are worried about whether an LGBTQ child will be safe, Green notes the importance of support from parents in making children able to speak up. "Providing a supportive home life is critical. Your child feeling comfortable enough to share their safety concerns can make a difference."

Green, who is the Digital Giving Manager at the Trevor Project, which provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth, adds that by talking openly about these issues, parents can help create a safer world for LGBTQ kids. "Being an ambassador for your child and for LGBTQ rights has an impact in the community. By being an advocate for your child and speaking with pride about your child's identity, you're working to make the world a better place for other young people."

Telling other family members

Coming out can be a huge relief for teens or young adults who are LGBTQ, but the process is often rocky and sometimes painful. Your child may have opened up to friends or co-workers who didn't respond well, or may be worried about how family members or other important people will react. Once your child seems ready to talk, check in with them about how they're feeling, and how you can be supportive. Start by asking questions and listening to their answers calmly. Your goal is to let them know that you are hearing what they need to share with you.

Something parents often struggle with is the knowledge that they are, if not the last to know, certainly not the first. Try not to be surprised, or offended, if you find that your child has been more candid with their friends, and even some other adults. The Trevor Project's LGBTQ Youth Mental Health Study found that most respondents disclose their sexual orientation and gender identity to friends first, then trusted adults, who may not always be their parents. Less than half were out to an adult at school. Green notes several reasons why they might be reluctant to tell parents:

Unlike friends, parents have control over aspects of young people's lives, including housing and financial support, which can be withdrawn.

Parent's expectations of who they should/could be growing up can create a lot of pressure for children. Coming out can put the child at risk of feeling they have disappointed their parents.

Peers can have a like-minded approach to sexual orientation and gender identity, making them more likely to be accepting and supportive of the LGBTQ community.

When it comes to telling others in the family that a child is LGBTQ, it's recommended that you let the child take the lead. "Telling the rest of the family is up to the person who is coming out," says Green. "They'll either have a solid understanding of how they want to proceed or they may not know - just have an open conversation with them and be honest, clear and supportive to help them plan how to move forward. Being respectful of their wishes is a very important element to this conversation."

Another concern parents express is the worry that their child's announcement of their sexual orientation may be influenced by trends in their peer group.

"Adolescence, when most kids tend to come out, is a time of identity formation," says Dr. Mitrani. "Kids experiment with different things, whether it's hairstyles or clothing or music, and they're trying to find themselves." Sexual orientation and gender identity may be one of those things. But while that's true," he adds, "my experience is that it's not in the majority of the cases."

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"I was worried about my parents not accepting me for who I am," recalls Katie Green, who identifies as queer and came out to her family in her early twenties. "I was worried they would stop loving me."

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The terms and definitions below are always evolving, changing and often mean different things to different people. They are provided below as a starting point for discussion and understanding. This Glossary has been collectively built and created by the staff members of the LGBTQIA Resource Center since the early 2000s.

These are not universal definitions. This glossary is provided to help give others a more thorough but not entirely comprehensive understanding of the significance of these terms. You may even consider asking someone what they mean when they use a term, especially when they use it to describe their identity. Ultimately it is most important that each individual define themselves for themselves and therefore also define a term for themselves.

"If I didn't define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people's fantasies for me and eaten alive." -Audre Lorde

This glossary contains terms, such as ableism and disability, that may not be considered directly related to identities of sexuality or gender. These terms are important to acknowledge as part of our mission to challenge all forms of oppression that affect the multiple, intersectional identities held by members of our community.

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GLOSSARY The terms and definitions below are always evolving, changing and often mean different things to different people. They are provided below as a starting point for discussion and understanding. This Glossary has been collectively built and created by the staff members of the LGBTQIA Resource Center since the early 2000s.

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Pronouns.org Resources on Personal Pronouns

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Pronouns.org Resources on Personal Pronouns

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YA/Adult Books by Indigenous Authors - Edmonton Public Library

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YA/Adult Books by Indigenous Authors by WPL_Reference - a staff-created list : Books for a wide variety of age ranges by Indigenous authors. Genres include poetry, fiction, and non-fiction.

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#Ownvoices: Kids and Teen Books by Indigenous Authors and Illustrators - The Seattle Public Library

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Ownvoices: Kids and Teen Books by Indigenous Authors and Illustrators by KCLSRacheal - a staff-created list : Books for children and teens by Native American and First Nations authors and illustrators. Many are recommended by the either the American Indian Youth Literature Award, children's author Cynthia Leitich Smith, or American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL).

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Some cities and states are celebrating Indigenous peoples instead of Columbus.

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History & Culture - Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians

Centuries ago, ancestors of the Agua Caliente Cahuila (pronounced Kaw-we-ah) Indians settled in the Palm Springs area and developed extensive and complex communities in Palm, Murray, Tahquitz and Chino Canyons. Many traces of these communities exist in the the canyons today including rock art, house pits and foundations, reservoirs, trails, and food processing areas.

Archaeological research has discovered that the Cahuilla have occupied Tahquitz Canyon for at least 5,000 years. The Cahuilla Indian name for Palm Springs area was Sec-he (boiling water); the Spanish who arrived named it Agua Ca- liente (hot water). And then cam the name "Palm Springs" in reference to both the native Washigtonia filifera palm tree and Agua Caliente Hot Mineral Springs.

In 1876, the U.S. Federal Government deeded in trust to the Agua Caliente people 32,000 acres for their homeland. At the same time, they gave the So. California Railroad ten miles of odd sections of land to induce them to build the railroad. Of the reservation's 32,000 acres, some 6,700 lie within the Palm Springs city limits. The remaining sections fan out across the desert and mountains in a checkerboard pattern.

As early as the 1890's, Palm Springs and the surrounding area have been described as a recreation oasis. Tahquitz Canyon and three southern canyons are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Palm Canyon, part of Indian Canyons, is considered the world's largest California Fan Palm Oasis.

The Aqua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians remains actively involved with the City of Palm Springs.

Learn more and experience the Agua Caliente Cahuilla Indians

Take a ranger-led tour and maze through the ancient palm groves, and explore the streams and water- falls at Indian Canyons or Tahquitz Canyon .

Learn about the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians through exhibitions, collections, research, and educational programs at the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum in downtown Palm Springs. This sits on the original site of the sacred hot springs. (Opening early 2021)

Attend the annual Native Film Festival in March starring Native Americans and other indigenous people. Details will be posted at www.aguacaliente.org.

Gaming and entertainment daily at the Agua Caliente Ca sino Palm Springs .

Golf at the two signature courses at the Indian Canyons Golf Resort .

Note: Title image from Edward S. Curtis collection.

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Agua Caliente Indians - Visit Palm Springs

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Centuries ago, ancestors of the Agua Caliente Cahuila (pronounced Kaw-we-ah) Indians settled in the Palm Springs area and developed extensive and complex communities in Palm, Murray, Tahquitz and Chino Canyons. Many traces of these communities exist in the the canyons today including rock art, house pits and foundations, reservoirs, trails, and food processing areas.

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The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians is an historic Palm Springs based federally recognized Native American Tribe with more than 500 members. The Tribe is steward to more than 31,500 acres of ancestral land. The cities of Palm Springs, Cathedral City and Rancho Mirage as well as portions of unincorporated Riverside County span across the boundaries of the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation.

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The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians is an historic Palm Springs based federally recognized Native American Tribe with more than 500 members. The Tribe is steward to more than 31,500 acres of ancestral land. The cities of Palm Springs, Cathedral City and Rancho Mirage as well as portions of unincorporated Riverside County span across the boundaries of the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation.

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by Clare Reynders, MEDIAGIRLS editorial volunteer

There are so many good books for middle schoolers with strong female protagonists out there to choose from! Luckily, MEDIAGIRLS has you covered. With help from Robin Brenner, the Teen Librarian at the Brookline Public Library in Brookline, MA, we've compiled a list of books that center around strong, smart, powerful female characters. As an extra bonus, they're all by female authors, giving us a genuine perspective on each story.
Edited to add:
We've announced our 2017-2018 Book Club selections for Grades 2-8.

Sign up for our Girl & Grown-up Book Club. It's FREE! Get toolkits with meeting guides and discussion questions for all previous year's books delivered right to your inbox, instantly. Toolkits for this year's book will be emailed each month.
Take me to the Book Club Sign Up!
FOR ALL MIDDLE-SCHOOL GIRLS

This book, which was released only a few months ago to great reviews, follows siblings Tess and Theo along with their friend Jamie, who are tasked with solving a centuries-old puzzle built into New York City by its architects. This fast-paced mystery shows readers that being smart is cool (and might get you some sweet treasure along the way).

Think of this book like Spiderman, but replace Peter Parker with Doreen Green and spiders with the far cooler, far cuddlier - squirrels! This book follows the story of 14-year old Doreen balancing her new school, new friends, and squirrel-like powers. This Marvel hero (she's got comics, too) is a wonderful role model for young girls because of her strength, heroic nature, optimism, and unique personality.

This book is a graphic novel, so it's a quicker read, but with plenty of heart! Awkward follows Peppi during her first year at a new middle school, making mistakes and friends along the way. On her first day, when she's hoping to fly under the radar, Peppi trips and falls in front of everyone, pushing away Jaime, the one person who tries to help her. As her art club battles Jaime's science club during the next few weeks, will she gain the courage to apologize to him and make things right? Peppi is a real and complex character who shows us that it's okay to make mistakes.

Woodson's award-winning book of poetry is a must-read for any young girl. Brown Girl Dreaming consists of poetry that captures Woodson's life growing up as an African American girl living in North Carolina and New York in the 1960s. Her poems are important and universal, they capture the voice of a child while at the same time showing the reader an entirely new perspective. This book shows girls that their voices matter.

This book stars Cimorene, who is a not-your-average princess. Instead of being a damsel in distress, Cimorene decides to run away from her boring castle life and befriend a dragon. This sets her on a quest through the Enchanted Forest, where she meets a cast of interesting characters. Cimorene is an inspiring protagonist, using her wits, sarcasm, and unique problem-solving skills to make it through the forest.

In this classic sci-fi tale, a group of children embarks on a quest across space to find their missing father. The main character, Meg, has enough confidence and charisma to inspire any reader, and on top of that, a film adaptation by the incredible Ava Duvernay is slated to come out next year. What's not to love?

FOR 7th GRADE AND UP:

Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is sent off to finishing school by her mother, in hopes that she'll become less of a tomboy and learn some more "ladylike" manners. To her surprise, the finishing school teaches more than just manners; she is also learning to become a spy! This fun and thrilling book flips gender stereotypes on their heads, showing young girls that you can wear a pretty dress and be the next James Bond.

Pierce is a top-notch fantasy writer who knows how to write complex, compelling women. In Trickster's Choice, Aly is captured by pirates and sold to an exiled royal family as a servant. She makes a deal that if she can protect Sarai and Dove, two young noblewomen, for the summer, she will be released. But with murderous plots and unwieldy girls, this task proves more difficult than it seems. This book focuses on Aly's problem-solving skills, optimism, and ability to lift herself up out of a bad situation.

FOR 9th GRADE AND UP:

This riveting piece of historical fiction is for slightly older girls, but still 100% worth a recommendation. It follows British spy Verity after she is captured in Nazi-occupied France, and separated from her best friend Maddie, a pilot. This intricately woven mystery is intriguing for sure, but nothing beats a story about female friendship. Verity and Maddie will inspire readers everywhere.

This book also contains more adult themes that could be upsetting to younger girls, but it will be a life-changing read for older girls. It follows 16-year-old Starr Carter, who witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend by a police officer. This book is extremely timely, and teaches girls about the power of activism, speaking up, and standing up against what you know is wrong.

Happy reading!

Clare Reynders is a junior at Vassar College majoring in Media Studies with a minor in Women's studies. She loves singing in her a cappella group, reading books, and, of course, empowering young women!

This piece was originally published on MEDIAGIRLS.ORG as "10 best summer reads for middle-school girls" and is lightly edited and republished here with permission. Michelle Cove is the Executive Director of MEDIAGIRLS®, a nonprofit organization that teaches girls how to critique the way girls and women are portrayed in pop culture with an emphasis on creating empowering content.

She is also an award-winning filmmaker, journalist, and author whose projects have been featured on numerous national platforms including "The Oprah Winfrey Show," Katie Couric's talk show "Katie," "The Today Show," The Washington Post, and The New York Times.

Visit www.mediagirls.org to learn more.

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#MediaMondayTip: a girl-power reading list for middle schoolers - Girls Leadership

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by Clare Reynders, MEDIAGIRLS editorial volunteer There are so many good books for middle schoolers with strong female protagonists out there to choose from! Luckily, MEDIAGIRLS has you covered. With help from Robin Brenner, the Teen Librarian at the Brookline Public Library in Brookline, MA, we've compiled a list of books that center around strong, smart, powerful female characters.

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I'm always excited to see when there's a fifth Monday in a month, because that means it's time for a Bonus Goodie. The Picture Book Lists have been popular-or so you're telling me!-so that's what we're going with again.

The theme this time?
Girl Power!
Here are some of the most empowering girl-​centric picture books I've found in my library or coming in via the many advance-​reader copies OPB gets each month.

See what you think! And please do what you can to get the young girls in your life to check out some of these titles. They're well worth the re-read!

Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by David Roberts (Sept 2016)

From Goodreads: "Scientist Ada has a boundless imagination and has always been hopelessly curious. Why are there pointy things stuck to a rose? Why are there hairs growing inside your nose? When her house fills with a horrific, toe-​curling smell, Ada knows it's up to her to find the source. What would you do with a problem like this? Not afraid of failure, Ada embarks on a fact-​finding mission and conducts scientific experiments, all in the name of discovery. But, this time, her experiments lead to even more stink and get her into trouble!"

Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman, illustrated by Caroline Binch (September 1991)

From Goodreads: "Grace loves stories, whether they're from books, movies, or the kind her grandmother tells. When her school decides to perform Peter Pan, Grace longs to play the lead, but her classmates point out that Peter was a boy. Besides, he wasn't black.

With the support of her family, Grace learns that she can be anything she wants to be, and the results are amazing!

Remarkable watercolor illustrations give full expression to Grace's high-​flying imagination."

Amelia to Zora: Twenty-​Six Women Who Changed the World by Cynthia Chin-​Lee, illustrated by Megan Halsey and Sean Addy (July 2008)

From Goodreads: "Twenty-​six amazing women; twenty-​six amazing stories. From Amelia Earhart, pilot and adventurer, to Zora Neale Hurston, writer and anthropologist, learn about the hardships and triumphs that inspired each woman to change the world around her. Detailed collages and illustrations draw from various events in the women's lives."

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes (Jan 2011)

From Goodreads: "Written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes, the nationally bestselling and celebrated creator of Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, Owen, and Kitten's First Full Moon, Chrysanthemum is a funny and honest school story about teasing, self-​esteem, and acceptance to share all year round.

Chrysanthemum thinks her name is absolutely perfect-until her first day of school. "You're named after a flower!" teases Victoria.
"Let's smell her," says Jo.

Chrysanthemum wilts. What will it take to make her blossom again?

Supports the Common Core State Standards."

Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Rafael López (March 2015)

From Goodreads: " Girls cannot be drummers. Long ago on an island filled with music, no one questioned that rule-until the drum dream girl. In her city of drumbeats, she dreamed of pounding tall congas and tapping small bongós. She had to keep quiet. She had to practice in secret. But when at last her dream-​bright music was heard, everyone sang and danced and decided that both girls and boys should be free to drum and dream.

Inspired by the childhood of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a Chinese-​African-​Cuban girl who broke Cuba's traditional taboo against female drummers, Drum Dream Girl tells an inspiring true story for dreamers everywhere."

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World by Kate Pankhurst (Sept 2016)

From Goodreads: "Kate Pankhurst, descendent of Emmeline Pankhurst, has created this wildly wonderful and accessible book about women who really changed the world. Discover fascinating facts about some of the most amazing women who changed the world we live in. Fly through the sky with the incredible explorer Amelia Earhart, and read all about the Wonderful Adventures of Mary Seacole with this fantastic full colour book. Bursting full of beautiful illustrations and astounding facts, Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World is the perfect introduction to just a few of the most incredible women who helped shaped the world we live in.

List of women featured: Jane Austen, Gertrude Ederle, Coco Chanel, Frida Kahlo, Marie Curie, Mary Anning, Mary Seacole, Amelia Earhart, Agent Fifi, Sacagawa, Emmeline Pankhurst, Rosa Parks, Anne Frank."

Fiesta Femenina: Celebrating Women in Mexican Folktale by Mary-​Joan Gerson, illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez (Sept 2018)

From Goodreads: "A collection of folktales from various cultures in Mexico, all focusing on the important roles of women, such as Rosha, a young girl who rescues the sun; the goddess Tangu Yuh; Kesne, a Zapotec princess; and the Virgin Mary."

From Goodreads: " 'Where are the girls?'

When Grace's teacher reveals that the United States has never had a female president, Grace decides she wants to be the nation's first and immediately jumpstarts her political career by running in her school's mock election! The race is tougher than she expected: her popular opponent declares that he's the "best man for the job" and seems to have captured the votes of all of the class's boys. But Grace is more determined than ever. Even if she can't be the best man for the job, she can certainly try to be the best person!

This timely story not only gives readers a fun introduction to the American electoral system but also teaches the value of hard work, courage, independent thought-and offers an inspiring example of how to choose our leaders."

From Goodreads: "High on energy and imagination, this ode to self-​esteem encourages kids to appreciate everything about themselves-inside and out. Messy hair? Beaver breath? So what! Here's a little girl who knows what really matters.

At once silly and serious, Karen Beaumont's joyous rhyming text and David Catrow's wild illustrations unite in a book that is sassy, soulful-and straight from the heart."

From Goodreads:
"Once upon a planetoid,
amid her tools and sprockets,
a girl named Cinderella dreamed
of fixing fancy rockets.

With a little help from her fairy godrobot, Cinderella is going to the ball-but when the prince's ship has mechanical trouble, someone will have to zoom to the rescue! Readers will thank their lucky stars for this irrepressible fairy tale retelling, its independent heroine, and its stellar happy ending."

From Goodreads: "Meet a city girl with a big Wild West dream.

"I don't want to be a good girl-
Good girls have no fun.
I can't play quiet games indoors,
I love the rain and sun.
I don't want to be a girly girl
Who likes to sit and chat.
I just want to be a cowgirl, Daddy,
What's so wrong with that?"

From the window of a high-​rise city apartment, a little girl imagines a very different view and dreams of a very different life, but does it have to be just a dream?

The big city meets the wild Wild West in Jeanne Willis's lyrical text, accompanied by hilarious illustrations from Tony Ross.

Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match/​Marisol McDonald no combina by Monica Brown, illustrated Sara Palacios (Sept 2011)

From Goodreads: " 'My name is Marisol McDonald, and I don't match. At least, that's what everyone tells me.'

Marisol McDonald has flaming red hair and nut-​brown skin. Polka dots and stripes are her favorite combination. She prefers peanut butter and jelly burritos in her lunch box. And don't even think of asking her to choose one or the other activity at recess-she'll just be a soccer playing pirate princess, thank you very much. To Marisol McDonald, these seemingly mismatched things make perfect sense together.

Unfortunately, they don't always make sense to everyone else. Other people wrinkle their nose in confusion at Marisol-can't she just be one or the other? Try as she might, in a world where everyone tries to put this biracial, Peruvian-​Scottish-​American girl into a box, Marisol McDonald doesn't match. And that's just fine with her.

A mestiza Peruvian American of European, Jewish, and Amerindian heritage, renowned author Monica Brown wrote this lively story to bring her own experience of being mismatched to life. Her buoyant prose is perfectly matched by Sara Palacios' engaging acrylic illustrations."

Me...Jane by Patrick McDonnell (April 2011)

From Goodreads: "Patrick McDonnell-​beloved, bestselling author-​artist and creator of the Mutts syndicated comic strip-shares the inspiring story of young Jane Goodall, the legendary and inspiring conservationist featured in the hit documentary film Jane.

In his characteristic heartwarming style, Patrick McDonnell tells the story of the young Jane Goodall and her special childhood toy chimpanzee named Jubilee. As the young Jane observes the natural world around her with wonder, she dreams of "a life living with and helping all animals," until one day she finds that her dream has come true. With anecdotes taken directly from Jane Goodall's autobiography, McDonnell makes this very true story accessible for the very young-and young at heart.

One of the world's most inspiring women, Dr. Jane Goodall is a renowned humanitarian, conservationist, animal activist, environmentalist, and United Nations Messenger of Peace. In 1977 she founded the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), a global nonprofit organization that empowers people to make a difference for all living things."

Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney (Nov 1985)

From Goodreads: "Barbara Cooney's story of Alice Rumphius, who longed to travel the world, live in a house by the sea, and do something to make the world more beautiful, has a timeless quality that resonates with each new generation. The countless lupines that bloom along the coast of Maine are the legacy of the real Miss Rumphius, the Lupine Lady, who scattered lupine seeds everywhere she went. Miss Rumphius received the American Book Award in the year of publication.

To celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of two-​time Caldecott winner Barbara Cooney's best-​loved book, the illustrations have been reoriginated, going back to the original art to ensure state-​of-​the-​art reproduction of Cooney's exquisite artwork. The art for Miss Rumphius has a permanent home in the Bowdoin College Museum of Art."

From Goodreads: "Not all princesses dress in pink. Some play in bright red socks that stink, blue team jerseys that don't quite fit, accessorized with a baseball mitt, and a sparkly crown!

Princesses come in all kinds. Exuberant text from Jane Yolen and her daughter Heidi Yolen Stemple paired with charming illustrations prove that girls can jump in mud puddles and climb trees, play sports and make messes-all while wearing their tiaras! Not every girl has a passion for pink, but all young ladies will love this empowering affirmation of their importance and unlimited potential."

From Goodreads: "This is an extraordinary story about an ordinary little girl who discovers an interest in art and transforms into an Artist Extraordinaire! Through her journey into fame and stardom, Pepper learns an important life lesson about humility. This book was made into reality through a Kickstarter Campaign that received more than $30,000 in pledges! Pepper has been featured on Huffpost, Mashable, Bustle, Upworthy, Now This, Babble and more!"

Rosa by Nikki Giovanni, illustrated by Bryan Collier (Dec 2007)

From Goodreads: " She had not sought this moment but she was ready for it. When the policeman bent down to ask "Auntie, are you going to move?" all the strength of all the people through all those many years joined in her. She said, "No."

A picture book account of Rosa Park's historic choice."

From Goodreads: " A is for Activist is an ABC board book for the next generation of progressives: Families that want their kids to grow up in a space that is unapologetic about activism, environmental justice, civil rights, LGBTQ rights, and so on."

From Goodreads: "Be yourself like Molly Lou Melon no matter what a bully may do.

Molly Lou Melon is short and clumsy, has buck teeth, and has a voice that sounds like a bullfrog being squeezed by a boa constrictor. She doesn't mind. Her grandmother has always told her to walk proud, smile big, and sing loud, and she takes that advice to heart.

But then Molly Lou has to start in a new school. A horrible bully picks on her on the very first day, but Molly Lou Melon knows just what to do about that."

Stone Girl Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning of Lyme Regis by Laurence Anholt, illustrated by Sheila Moxley (Dec 2006)

Suki's Kimono by Chieri Uegaki, illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch (Sept 2005)

From Goodreads: "Suki's favorite possession is her blue cotton kimono. A gift from her obachan, it holds special memories of her grandmother's visit last summer. And Suki is going to wear it on her first day back to school - no matter what anyone says.

When it's Suki's turn to share with her classmates what she did during the summer, she tells them about the street festival she attended with her obachan and the circle dance that they took part in. In fact, she gets so carried away reminiscing that she's soon humming the music and dancing away, much to the delight of her entire class!

Filled with gentle enthusiasm and a touch of whimsy, Suki's Kimono is the joyful story of a little girl whose spirit leads her to march - and dance - to her own drumbeat."

The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munch, illustrated by Michael Martchenko (May 1980)

From Goodreads: "The Princess Elizabeth is slated to marry Prince Ronald when a dragon attacks the castle and kidnaps Ronald. In resourceful and humorous fashion, Elizabeth finds the dragon, outsmarts him, and rescues Ronald-who is less than pleased at her un-​princess-​like appearance. Full color."

The Princess Knight by Cornelia Funke, illustrated by Kerstin Meyer (March 2014)

The Quickest Kid in Clarksville by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Frank Morrison (Feb 2016)

From Goodreads: "It's the day before the big parade. Alta can only think about one thing: Wilma Rudolph, three-​time Olympic gold medalist. She'll be riding on a float tomorrow. See, Alta is the quickest kid in Clarksville, Tennessee, just like Wilma once was. It doesn't matter that Alta's shoes have holes because Wilma came from hard times, too. But what happens when a new girl with shiny new shoes comes along and challenges Alta to a race? Will she still be the quickest kid? The Quickest Kid in Clarksville is a timeless story of dreams, determination, and the power of friendship."

The Thing Lou Couldn't Do by Ashley Spires (Mar 2017)

From Goodreads: "Lou and her friends are BRAVE adventurers. They run FASTER than airplanes. They build MIGHTY fortresses. They rescue WILD animals. But one day, when they re looking for a ship to play pirates in, Lou s friend has an idea: Up there! The tree can be our ship! Ummm ... says Lou. This is something new. Lou has never climbed a tree before, and she s sure she can t do it. So she tries to convince her friends to play a not-​up-​a-​tree game. When that doesn t work, she comes up with reasons for not joining them her arm is sore, her cat needs a walk, you shouldn t climb so soon after eating. Finally, she tells herself she doesn t want to climb the tree. But is that true, or is this brave adventurer just too afraid to try?

This delightful picture book from Ashley Spires, bestselling author of The Most Magnificent Thing, perfectly depicts what children go through when confronted with something difficult. With humor and endearing artwork, Spires sensitively portrays Lou procrastinating, making excuses, imagining alternatives and denying she cares. Ultimately, Lou faces her fear, and although she fails, the effort empowers her, encouraging a growth mindset. All the while, Lou s friends model compassionate friendship by offering to teach her how to climb and then moving the game. This book makes a perfect choice for a character education discussion about courage or resilience, or a life-​skills lesson on facing challenges. The story also promotes the joy of imaginative play in the outdoors."

by Daria Peoples-​Riley (Feb 2018)

From Goodreads: "Daria Peoples-Riley's debut picture book is a celebration of individuality, self-​expression, and dance. Fans of Misty Copeland's Firebird and Matt de la Peña's Last Stop on Market Street will want to read it over and over again.

When a young dancer is nervous about her upcoming auditions, her shadow springs to life and leads her on a joyous exploration of their city. Soon enough, the young girl finds confidence in her skills, her body, and her ability to shine.

With an energetic, rhythmic text that begs to be read aloud and striking, exuberant artwork, This Is It is a love story to originality and the simple joy of movement.

The future is in your footsteps.
Freedom is in your feet.
Put one foot in front of the other,
and greet your destiny."

Violet the Pilot by Steve Breen (Sept 2016)

The Water Princess by Susan Verde, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds (Sept 2016)

From Goodreads: "Based on supermodel Georgie Badiel's childhood, a young girl dreams of bringing clean drinking water to her African village.

With its wide sky and warm earth, Princess Gie Gie's kingdom is a beautiful land. But clean drinking water is scarce in her small African village. And try as she might, Gie Gie cannot bring the water closer; she cannot make it run clearer. Every morning, she rises before the sun to make the long journey to the well. Instead of a crown, she wears a heavy pot on her head to collect the water. After the voyage home, after boiling the water to drink and clean with, Gie Gie thinks of the trip that tomorrow will bring. And she dreams. She dreams of a day when her village will have cool, crystal-​clear water of its own."

From Goodreads: "Before Wilma Rudolph was five years old, polio had paralyzed her left leg. Everyone said she would never walk again. But Wilma refused to believe it. Not only would she walk again, she vowed, she'd run. And she did run-all the way to the Olympics, where she became the first American woman to earn three gold medals in a single olympiad. This dramatic and inspiring true story is illustrated in bold watercolor and acrylic paintings by Caldecott Medal-​winning artist David Diaz. "

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Picture Book List: 30 Books About Girl Power

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I'm always excited to see when there's a fifth Monday in a month, because that means it's time for a Bonus Goodie. The Picture Book Lists have been popular-or so you're telling me!-so that's what we're going with again. The theme this time? Girl Power!

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Female inventors have played a large role in U.S. history, but haven't always received credit for their work. Besides the fact that their contributions have sometimes been downplayed over overlooked, women- particularly women of color -have historically had fewer resources to apply for U.S. patents and market their inventions.

Not all of the female inventors on this list received attention for their work in their lifetime, or were able to market their inventions. But all of them contributed innovations that helped advance technology in their respective fields.

1. Life Raft

In the early 1880s, when a new wave of European immigrants were sailing to the United States, a Philadelphia inventor named Maria E. Beasley designed an improved life raft. Unlike the flat life rafts of the 1870s, Beasley's raft had guard rails to help keep people inside during emergencies when they had to abandon ship.

Beasley patented her first life raft design in 1880 in both the United States and Great Britain, and received a second U.S. patent for an updated version of the raft in 1882. In addition to the life raft, she also invented a foot warmer, a stream generator and a barrel-hooping machine, receiving a total of 15 U.S. patents and at least two in Great Britain during her life.

2. Fold-Out Bed

In 1885, a Chicago inventor and furniture store owner named Sarah E. Goode received a patent for her "Cabinet-Bed." The new piece of furniture was a desk that folded out into a bed, allowing the user to save space in a tiny apartment.

Goode's invention predated the 20th century's pull-down Murphy beds and pull-out sofas. With her Cabinet-Bed, Goode-who was born into slavery and won her freedom after the Civil War-became one of the first Black women to patent and invention with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
READ MORE: 8 Black Inventors Who Made Daily Life Easier
3. Dishwasher

Josephine G. Cochran was a wealthy socialite in Shelbyville, Illinois when she got the idea to invent a dishwasher. Cochrane employed servants to perform housework in her mansion, but started washing her fine china herself when she discovered some of the servants had accidentally chipped them. Cochrane found her brief exposure to housework unpleasant, and resolved to build a machine that could wash the dishes for her.

The result was the first commercially-successful dishwasher, which Cochrane patented in 1886. Previous attempts at dishwashers had used scrubbers, but Cochrane's design was more effective because it used water pressure to clean the dishes. With her patent secure, she founded Cochran's Crescent Washing Machine Company. Because the machine was too expensive for most households, Cochran sold most of her dishwashers to hotels and restaurants.

4. Car Heater

The first person to patent an automobile heater was Margaret A. Wilcox, an engineer in Chicago. Wilcox's 1893 design used heat from the car's engine to keep drivers and passengers warm during trips. Later engineers improved upon the idea by making the heat easier to regulate.

Wilcox's other inventions included a combined clothes-and-dishwasher, which didn't catch on in the same way.

5. Feeding Tube

Bessie Virginia Blount, also known as Bessie Blount Griffin, was an American nurse, physical therapist, inventor, handwriting expert and possibly the first Black woman to train at Scotland Yard's Document Division. In the 1940s, she who worked with World War II veterans in New York City's Bronx Hospital (now part of BronxCare Health System), where she taught veterans with amputations to read and write with their teeth and feet. It was during this work that Bount invented a device that her patients could use to feed themselves.

Blount's invention involved a tube that delivered food to a person's mouth whenever he or she bit down on it. She patented part of the design in 1948, then gifted the rights to the invention over to the French government in 1951 on the advice of a religious leader (the U.S. government hadn't shown much interest in the device).

Her invention paved the way for modern feeding tubes, which can be inserted into a person's nose or stomach if the user can't ingest food orally. After patenting the feeding tube, Blount continued to invent and went on to become a forensic handwriting analyst.
READ MORE: 11 of History's Fiercest Females Everyone Should Know
6. Kevlar

Stephanie L. Kwolek was a chemist who created synthetic fibers while working at DuPont's Pioneering Research Laboratory in Wilmington, Delaware. The most famous one she created was Kevlar -a strong, lightweight and heat-resistant synthetic fiber.

Kwolek patented the process for making Kevlar in 1966. Kevlar is used in bulletproof vests and other protective equipment, and has also become a substitute for asbestos since the 1970s, when companies began to scale back on using the cancer-causing material.

7. Home Security System

Marie Van Brittan Brown was a Black nurse and inventor in New York City who, together with her husband, Albert Brown, patented the first home security system in 1969. Brown got the idea for the security system because she and her husband worked long hours as an electronics technician, and she often found herself coming home to their apartment and being by herself late at night.

The system that Brown invented involved a sliding camera that could capture images through four different peepholes in her door, TV monitors to display the camera images and two-way microphones that allowed her to talk with anyone outside her door. There was also a remote to unlock the door from a distance and a button to alert police or security. This system paved the way for modern security systems, and has been cited in at least 32 patent applications that came after it.

8. Cataract Treatment

Patricia E. Bath was the first Black American to complete a residency in ophthalmology and the first Black female doctor to patent a medical device in the United States. The device she invented was the Laserphaco Probe, which removed cataracts-cloudy blemishes in the eye that can lead to vision loss.

Bath's new ways of removing cataracts was faster, more accurate and less invasive than previous methods. She earned her first U.S. patent related to the procedure in 1988, and received four other U.S. patents related to her cataract-removal innovations during her lifetime, in addition to patents in Japan, Canada and Europe. S he passed away at the age of 76 in .

9. Stem Cell Isolation

While working in Palo Alto in 1991, Asian American scientist Ann Tsukamoto was part of the team that patented the first method of isolating blood-forming stem cells in 1991. Tsukamoto holds a total of 12 U.S. patents for her stem cell research, which has helped with the development of cancer treatments.

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Female inventors have played a large role in U.S. history, but haven't always received credit for their work. Besides the fact that their contributions have sometimes been downplayed over overlooked, women- particularly women of color -have historically had fewer resources to apply for U.S. patents and market their inventions.