LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Two Jefferson County Public School students wrote and illustrated a book inspired by their experience coming to America and acclimating in school. Now, the high school students are reading their story to elementary students, hoping to inspire young people to celebrate each other’s cultural differences.
Aylin Munoz and Ramon Miranda are senior high school students at Fairdale High School in Louisville. The two friends came to America from Mexico when they were in elementary school but said they both had difficulty acclimating to such an unfamiliar environment.
“I came with my older siblings, who did not know English,” said Miranda, “so all we spoke at home was Spanish. When I came to school, I felt really different from others.”
“Yeah, I grew up in Mexico but came here in second grade,” Munoz said. “There were times that I also felt very different and left out.”
Miranda and Munoz wrote and illustrated a story together inspired by their similar experiences.
“It’s about a student’s first day who is a first-gen Mexican American,” said Miranda, “and about her hardships being different from others and feeling isolated. At the end of the story, she finds a teacher she can see herself in.”
Both Miranda and Munoz credit their ability to successfully acclimate in school to teachers that helped them feel proud of their differences. Now, they share their story in elementary classrooms in Louisville.
“It teaches kids about having empathy and understanding that everyone should be treated equally and they shouldn’t be treated bad at all for who they are or where they come from,” said Munoz.
According to a Niche.com survey, over 37% of the students at Indian Trail Elementary identify as Hispanic.
Third-grade teacher at the school, Heather Hammiel, said this experience is beneficial for students of all cultural backgrounds.
“We do the best that we can here to make them feel welcome,” said Hammiel. “but to have other people coming into the classroom to show them how important it is that they are represented, and making those connections, we love seeing that.”
Indian Trail Elementary introduces the Spanish language in the classroom with regular lessons, cultural assemblies, Spanish literature and more.
Principal of Indian Trail Elementary, Uriah Tolbert, said this representation is not only important but celebrated.
“It’s funny because, when [the students] go home, their parents [reach out] saying, ‘My child is talking about Spanish class today. We had not had that in our home, but now that that is offered, my child is excited about being able to speak another language,’ so it’s a great family engagement piece too,” said Tolbert.
Miranda and Munoz’s book “Ximena’s First Day of School” will be available in both Spanish and English in the Indian Trail Elementary library.
