S1: Welcome to KPBS Midday Edition. On today's show , this year's One Book , One San Diego selections have been announced. So we're talking with some of the authors. I'm Jade Hyndman with conversations that keep you informed , inspired and make you think. It's a literary program that connects the community through conversation.
S2: The beauty about one book is really folks getting to dive into and learn more about and explore and discuss topics that they may not otherwise feel comfortable doing.
S1: And this year's selections give people an opportunity to do just that. The children's book selection takes us through the history of Chicano Park , while the teen selection chronicles Tommie Smith's life story and his iconic Olympic moment that's ahead on Midday Edition Last Saturday , KPBS announced the official selections for this year's One Book , One San Diego. Its the region's community reading program , where all of San Diego reads one book together. Here to tell us more about the program is Janelle Dean. She's the community engagement manager at KPBS. Janelle , welcome.
S2: Hi , Jade. Thank you for having me.
S1: So glad to have you on today. So before we get into this year's book picks , can you talk more about what one book , One San Diego is and the vision behind it ? Absolutely.
S2: So one book , One San Diego is a community read program , and it has an 18 year history here in San Diego. We actually are across San Diego as well as Imperial County , and we work across the border as well. So we cover a vast region with the program and basically what the program is. It's all community oriented , so we ask for nominations for books in the adult , teens and kids categories. Also Spanish language and we receive hundreds of nominations. So this year we received over 530 nominated titles. We have advisory committees , um , three advisory committees made up of 60 community folk that read and review every single nominated title , and they evaluate the books to be selected for the program. And that process takes about five months. Ultimately , they land on a top ten for each of the categories which we share publicly , and then they vote to determine which books will be selected for the year. And those books are then announced , which was the event that we just held. And we then invite the authors of each of the selected books to San Diego to present their books and talk a little bit about the derivation and the evolution of the book as well as answer questions and sign books and meet folks here in San Diego. And then our community partners host over 100 events throughout the fall. Um , for the community all around the book topics. Wow.
S1: Wow. So much goes into the selection.
S2: So for the adult category , uh , the title is Know My Name , a memoir , and that was written by Chanel Miller. Uh , for our teen category. The book is called Victory Stand Raising My Fist for justice. It's also a memoir , a graphic novel for young people. And it was written by Tommie Smith , who the book is about , as well as Derek Barnes and illustrated by Durwood Annibale. And the book for children is called Barrio Rising and the author Maria Dolores Aguilar. And Magdalena mora was the illustrator. And Maria is native here to San Diego , and both the adult title and the children's title are available in Spanish , so they are a part of our Sin Fronteras program.
S1: Yeah , well , and like you mentioned , KPBS has partners all across the county that includes libraries , schools , service organizations. So how are you working across the region this year ? Yes.
S2: So one book is definitely a community partnership. As I've mentioned , it's definitely not just KPBS. We make kind of all the magic happen and put all the pieces together , but it is definitely a community program. And so the San Diego Public Library , the San Diego County Library , as well as our library partners in Coronado , Escondido , National City and Oceanside are all involved in everything from soup to nuts when it comes to one book. Um , we also partner heavily with the San Diego Unified School District. Kind of knew the past couple of years our partnerships with various other school districts , including districts in Calexico as well as El Cajon. We , um , partner with all of the universities , you know , being here in San Diego , we're so fortunate to have so many institutions of higher education. So we partner with all of the universities and colleges here in town to get their copies of the books. We distribute over 7000 copies each year , um , across the region. And so we distribute to all of our partners. They put the books in hands of folks who want to read and discuss the titles. So it's really our partnerships are crucial to sustaining and growing the program. And , um , each year new partnerships come about because of the topics of the books. So this year , our adult title really delves into sexual assault. Our teen title is all about activism and the African American community. And then our kids title is about our very own Chicano park here in San Diego. And so each of those will lend to new partnerships , which we're super excited about.
S1: And I know that you probably hear from a lot of people in the community. I'm curious to know how the impact of this program has been.
S2: I'd say , you know , we put a lot of effort into the the adult program has been the longest running over the 18 years. That's essentially what we started with was the adult title. And then the kids and teens came along a little bit later. And so the focus has been really on growing the kids and Teens program , making sure Ensure that we are as inclusive as possible in getting books to children and young adults across the region , um , and working with educators and parents and families. Um , on the significance of picking up one of these titles and exploring the topic. The beauty about one book is really folks getting to , uh , dive into and learn more about and explore and discuss topics that they may not otherwise feel comfortable doing. And so the book really , uh , assists in providing a tool for people to open up and have conversations about these tough topics. And , you know , that's just really important in this day and age , us being able to , um , talk about things that are a little bit challenging. And so I would say , uh , we have we have great success in doing that. And the impact there with kids and teens in particular is really great , especially the graphic novels , um , that are selected for the for the teens category. Um , it really allows reluctant readers to to dive into a book and , um , get excited about it. And then the books are often available in e-book and audiobook format , which really broadens the scope even more.
S1: Yeah , it's great that it engages so many people and really creates space to have these conversations within the community. You mentioned e-book and audiobook format. Tell me more about that.
S2: They have copies available in hard copy format , or the San Diego County Library and San Diego Public Library , as well as our other libraries in town , have additional formats online. Um , so you can access an e-book , and you can also access an audiobook For most , not all of the titles. But you know , if you are someone on the go and want to listen to one of the titles while driving or , you know , while working out in the gym or what , what have you , that's available as well. Excellent.
S1: Excellent.
S2: We are fortunate to have a presenting sponsorship in the University of San Diego , so we will host our author event with Chanel Miller , the author of Know My Name , on Wednesday , September 18th at 7 p.m. at the University of San Diego. Folks will get to hear from Chanel , ask questions , as well as get their book signed , and then in October , will host the author of our kids book here in San Diego and in November , the author of our teens book.
S1:
S2: Um , check out the titles , learn more about previous titles that were selected. We have a list available of all of our previous titles since 2007 , so check that out. Um , follow us on social media and join us for one of our future events. We , whether you're just reading one of the books or you want to come out to an event or be a part of , you know , one of the many book clubs that are out there affiliated with one book , One San Diego. We welcome everyone , and we look forward to reading and enjoying the 2024 season with you.
S1: I've been speaking with KPBS Community Engagement Manager Janelle Dean. Janelle , great to talk with you.
S2: Thank you so much , Jade.
S1: Coming up next , Derrick Barnes , the author of Victory Stand Raising My Fist for justice which chronicles the life of Olympian Tommie Smith , joins us.
S3: Use the platform to shine a light on , you know , the fight against racism , the fight against , you know , white supremacy. And he actually just risked it all.
S1: Hear more when KPBS Midday Edition returns. You're listening to KPBS Midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman. This year's one book Teen selection takes us into one of the most iconic images of sports protest in history. It's the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games. Sprinter Tommie Smith just broke the world record in the 200 meter race. It was official he just won gold.
S4: In the center of the field is Tommie Smith running through. President Peter Norman runs a play. Smith pulled muscle and couldn't have pulled it that badly. He beat John Carlos and Peter Norman could have run a second place.
S1: During the medal ceremony. He and fellow teammate John Carlos stood at the podium shoeless. They wore black socks to represent black poverty. Then they each bowed their heads and raised a black gloved fist in the air in protest of racial injustice against black Americans. Victory stand. Raising My Fist for justice is an award winning graphic novel that takes us into Smith's life and everything that led up to that historic moment. Author Derek Barnes co-wrote the book. He's won many accolades for his work in children's literature , and he joins me now. Derek , welcome to midday.
S3: Thank you for having me. Appreciate it.
S1: So glad to have you on. So first , congrats on being selected for one book , One San Diego.
S3: Thank you. It is an extreme honor. You know , I went back and looked looked at all the books that have been chosen. Uh , and the team books and the team category , and I saw a few of my friends. But more than anything , I saw a lot of classic books that were , uh , aimed at just , uh , you know , moving the needle and just trying to change the world and make it a better place , page by page. And it's just it's just an honor to have this book amongst those titles. So , uh , I'm , you know , so appreciative. Yeah.
S1: So you work directly with Doctor Tommy Smith on this book.
S3: My ninth book , crowning ode to the first cut. Uh , it won almost every major children's book award or one to honor. And that put me before a lot of editors that had turned down a lot of my manuscripts before then. And it really made me , you know resolute and what kind of books I wanted to write. You know , before that book blew up , I , I was trying to make books for the gatekeepers in , in children's publishing. But one of my sons reminded me to write the most authentic , blackest books that I could write. Because not only do black children need them , but children of all different ethnicities and races need to see other children as a protagonist and as the hero. And I wrote Crown and it it did what it did. So I made it a point that every book that I would write after Crown would fit into my body of work and what I was trying to do , and that was to make books that centered the beauty and the brilliance of black children , to highlight those who have fought for , uh , justice , uh , for , you know , equality. And nobody embodied that more than Doctor Tommy Smith. So my agent came with me. Um , she had just signed Tommy Smith to a , uh , agent deal and asked if I would be interested in writing his life story. So , again , that fit into my wheelhouse of writing the blackest books that I could possibly write , and it was just an extreme honor to to be able to sit at his feet , go to his house , uh , in Stone mountain , Georgia. Uh , he and his wife were so kind. They was so gracious to me. I've been there a few times , and , uh , it was just mind blowing at first because I'm in this man cave with all these trophies , medals , you know , memorabilia , fan art and , you know , after like 30 minutes , I felt like I was sitting with my grandfather sitting on one of my favorite uncles. And , you know , I just realized at that point that he he's also the epitome of a southern gentleman , when you think about an older black man , is from the South , is very courteous and wise. He is that , you know , he's also just a country boy from Texas , which I felt like that would help , uh , children , you know , to relate to the board. Because you don't have to be always say this. You don't have to be from privilege , or you don't have to be from a family of activists in order to speak out against issues that's going on in your neighborhood and your community and your state and your country. You don't you don't have to come from anything. You use your God given abilities and his being the fastest man on the planet in 1968 , and he used his platform to shine a light on , you know , the fight against racism , the fight against , you know , white supremacy. And he actually just risked it all , you know , to be honest with you , that was the last race that he ever ran. He was 24 years old.
S1:
S3: A family of 12 children. In Texas , they were a sharecropping family and obviously they didn't have money. Sharecropping , uh , was an extension of slavery. Obviously. Um , people worked someone else's land and really didn't get paid much , if anything , you know , at all. And the fact that when they were growing up , his parents didn't talk politics , they didn't talk race. But he was such a , um , an inquisitive child that he read everything that he could get his hands on. And when he went to college , he earned , uh , a track scholarship. The family moved from Texas to , you know , California. They were part of that , you know , great migration of black people that escaped the South , escaped , uh , terrorism and , you know , white supremacy and lynchings and , uh , a huge portion of us moved up north to , you know , Chicago and , you know , Detroit and Saint Louis but a huge portion of us also , you know , moved to the west , moved to California , and his family was a part of that migration. And he had a full ride scholarship to San Jose State. And on that campus , he he he was really introduced to activism. It was a lot going on. We talked about the early 1960s and mid and early 1960s , and hell is breaking loose all over the country , especially down south. And he was really introduced to activism. And he just , you know , began to delve more into , um , black history and his role and his place in black history. And I can imagine that little black boy that grew up in Texas had no idea that he would grow up to , you know , be the architect of the most popular sports protest image in American sports history. He had no idea. Yeah.
S5: Yeah. What was the.
S1: Reaction to that historic sports protest.
S3: It was immediate and it was harsh. They actually told them , you know , before the race and they didn't want anyone to protest. Um , but they had made up in their minds that they would do something they had they had no idea exactly how it would , uh , it would go down. But their wives at the time bought the pair of gloves that both gentlemen were wearing. Um , you know , Brother Carlos and and Brother Smith , they had , uh , African necklaces. They had scarves again , like you said , to , you know , represent poverty and not just for black people , but Americans across the board to represent , you know , the working class , uh , farmhands across the country , just the common American citizen that's not only dealing with racism , but dealing with classism. So it was a protest for everyone. You know , to be honest with you , I was growing up and I saw that image , and I'm sure most , most people thought that they were Black Panthers that qualified for the Olympics , but it was not necessarily a Black Power protest. It was it was just it was just a it was just a statement that we are going to , you know , continue to fight and we are not going to take this lying down. I think that , you know , Doctor King was just assassinated a few months prior. So , um , when he was supposed to make that protest , you know , you know , be honest with you because he heard himself during the semifinals and he ended up hurting us. Hurting us , growing , you know , really bad. He was able to he and the training staff was able to , you know , get him back , getting back in shape to , uh , racing those finals. And I asked him that. That's one of the questions I asked him that have you ever thought about if you had finished in fourth place , or if you had finished in fifth place , you wouldn't have been the one on that top podium on that number one podium. And , uh , And he said that's something that he thinks about often that , uh , you know , we think about our assignments like , as far as you know , I feel like God gives us , gives us all the assignments that and not just one. And his assignment that day , uh , for that year or for that period in his life was to be the one to win that race and to stand on that number one podium. And , uh , he did it with Grace. He did it with power. I had that image up in my , uh , in my garage , which I turned into , uh , I turned into a gym , you know , during 2020. But it's just such a powerful , everlasting image. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. It is. I got the same one , too. You touched on this a bit , but what significance do you think Doctor Smith's story holds for teen readers in particular ? Yeah.
S6:
S3: So I just think , like , there's so much , so much going on in the world right now. We look at all the college campuses and all the protests going on to to fight. What's going on ? You know , in the Middle East right now. And that takes a lot of courage. You know , protesting is a young man's sport. You know , we do what we can. I just turned 49. It's not my place to be out in the streets protesting , but I will protest any injustice that I can with my medium. What the gifts that God you know has given me. But I hope that this image , and I hope that this book shows young people that you know , you have a purpose and you have a role in making things better , not only for yourself or people that look like you , but it is your obligation to get educated , to learn all the facts , to do extensive research , and not only stop with the information that you receive at your school or in your social studies class , but , uh , read all the books that they are trying to ban right now and learn as much as you can about the history of this country , about international history , so that you can make a solid decision and stand on your two feet and put that black glove on your fist and get out in the streets and protest , whether it be again , like whether it be a school or it be in your neighborhood. I just feel like we all have an obligation once we know better. I feel like you have an obligation to do better and not just sit on that information. You know , I you know , to me , our whole purpose for even just being here and taking breath is to help other people. You know , that's the goal. And the best way to do that is to use your voice , raise your fist. Indeed.
S5: Indeed.
S1: And stand on business as the kids say.
S5: That's what the.
S7: Kids say.
S3: Yes to all the business. And.
S7: And.
S5: Well , you know.
S1: I want to get into your technique a little bit. The book jumps back and forth between Doctor Tommie Smith's upbringing and the Mexico City games. I understand this was your first graphic novel that you ever wrote for.
S3: She probably didn't even know that she helped me out. But after we were down in the man cave , you know , for hours , I was taking notes and listening to his life story. We we came over for lunch , actually made lunch for us. And my my initial thought was to make it a novel and verse , and I always I try to I try to put a twist on it. I'm a huge music fan , I love jazz , I love hip hop music , and I always try to put a twist on , you know , the story structure. So my idea was to do a novel in verse , and so I shared that idea with her. And while she was making our plates , she was she was quiet and she set the plates on the table and she was like , uh I think you can do better than that. Probably. You probably can. You probably can do a little bit more than that. And she went back to making his plate and I was like , oh , okay. If she thinks I can do better than that and I need to , I need to throw out a few other different format ideas structure. So the first thing that came to my mind was the fact that this brother was once the fastest man on the planet. I think I thought that that would play out beautifully in a graphic novel. I was working on a television script at the time , and it's pretty much the same , you know , formatting and but I just didn't know how I wanted to do it. Again , I wasn't interested in doing the whole cradle to current , um , type of type of structure. So I collected as many graphic novels , you know , biographical , um , and some , you know , fiction. I collected graphic novel on Satchel Paige , um , on Frederick Douglass , who I think is the greatest American of all time , Chinese born American was a huge award winning , you know , graphic novel. And I just studied the structure. And so I came up with the idea of focusing on what people know the most of , of Doctor Tommy Smith , and it's that race. And so I said , if I can take this race , start the beginning and dissect it in four and four parts , and then meet the story up in 1968 when I finally get around a stretch like the final , the final , uh , you know , 30 or 40 yards and then meet it up to , you know , 1968 right there in the story and kind of equate the different parts of the track to where he was in his life. And I said , now I have a conversation with him. I had never talked to a track athlete before. And he was you know , he's obviously other than , you know , Usain Bolt. He's he's he's like the living goat in his industry. He's the first person to run in 40 yard dash and in less than 20s , and I took those 19 seconds and carved them up in four parts , and told his story all the way from Texas to migrating to California to going to college. Uh , and , you know , San Jose State , to that , uh , glorious day in 1968 at the Mexico City Olympic Games.
S1: Well , and since that moment in 1968 , many black athletes have bravely protested , uh , over the years. And even during that time as well , all of them often risking their safety and livelihood to do so.
S6:
S3: To be one of those people , you know , that believe that sports bring us together. But the older I got , the more I realized that sport is really a mask on the real issues , you know , you you , I , I follow sports. I have four boys. So I listen I listen to a lot of sports radio. And so you hear a lot of people using sport as an escape , like they don't want to talk about social issues , and they most definitely don't want to talk politics , and they don't want to talk race. That is their refuge. And I think I think it's a refuge , especially for a lot of , you know , mid American , middle aged white men. This is their way to escape , you know , real life as it relates to talking about race and but race is a constant if you are a person of color , if you are a if you're a woman , you know , issues dealing with , you know , femininity and dealing with sexism , it is a constant for you. There's no escape for you , there's no masking for you. So they appreciate the fact that we , you know , perform for them , whether it be , uh , movies , music , sports , but they don't see you as a human being. That has a family and people that have prayed and cry for you and lifted you up. And I hear this conversation all the time when I'm talking , when I'm listening to sports radio , especially when this contract time , you know , not even thinking that that these young men deserve , you know , what they're getting and they never talk about the owners that just speaks to , you know , their lack of humanity towards these black athletes. So I think it's imperative that these young black men educate themselves again and learn as much as you can about the history of this country , understand your role and what you're doing , and use that and use that platform the best you can. Uh , I think , you know , a young brother that's that's using his platform beautifully is , uh , is Jaylen Brown who plays for the Celtics ? I think , uh , he is unapologetically brilliant , unapologetically black. And we need more athletes like him. You know , we need more athletes like him. Because , uh , as I tell my sons all the time , we can't we can't afford to entertain this country , you know , any longer. We have to speak to to issues that not only affect us but affect working class Americans. If that's an avenue , if that's a platform that they can use. I would like to see all young black athletes , uh , uh , stand up and , you know , follow in the footsteps of Muhammad Ali and Bill Russell and , you know , Tommie Smith. Yeah.
S5: Yeah.
S1: We cannot afford to entertain this country any longer. That is a statement right there.
S3: You know , I've never been to San Diego. I traveled all over. All over this country. I've been in the airport , but I've never made a stop there. But I will be there in November and I can't wait. I have two presentations , and I can't wait to meet the board that chose victory , saying , I can't wait to meet , you know , the kids. I think I'll be at a couple of schools. Busy , busy , yes , yes.
S1: I've been speaking with children's book author Derek Barnes about the 2024 one book teen selection Victory Stand. Raising my fist for justice. Derek , again , congratulations. And and thanks so much for joining us.
S3: Thank you. Jade , thank you for having me I appreciate it.
S5: Still ahead , Maria Dolores.
S1: Aguilar talks about her book Barrio Rising The Protests That Built Chicano Park.
S8: So that's why I wrote this book for children. So children that were like , I was conceived , that they come from this long history of resistance and resilience and that their stories do matter.
S1: KPBS Midday Edition returns after the break. You're listening to KPBS Midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman for over half a century now , Barrio Logan's Chicano Park has been a beacon for Mexican-American heritage and pride in San Diego. The history of Chicano Park and the community effort to bring it to life is the subject of the 2020 for one book children's selection Barrio Rising. Maria Dolores Aguilar spoke with Midday Edition producer Andrew Bracken about growing up near Chicano Park. Take a listen.
S9: So , Maria , you're from National City , not too far from Chicano Park.
S8: And I mean , anytime I go on the five freeway , I pass by it. And as a child , I would , like , hang out the window just to look to see , you know , what was on the murals. My father worked in the tuna canneries when they used to be in Barrio Logan , and he would tell me stories about that. And I also went to the the medical clinic , the Family Heights Logan Health Center as a child. So I have a lot of , you know , roots there Um , and I've lived next to it my entire life. So it's always been like , in the periphery of my life here in San Diego.
S9:
S8: I just know that the murals were there and that was it. Like , I didn't have any conception of how they had got there. And I even took Chicano studies in high school , and they just never told us , you know , like , this is this , this amazing thing that Chicano community has accomplished. But we didn't weren't taught that , you know , we just learned things like , you know , Cesar Chavez and the great boycotts and stuff like that. But we never learned what was like literally in our own backyard.
S9:
S8: Like , I just would love to lose myself in books. And one thing that I always noticed , as is there wasn't anybody that looked like me or my family in these books. And so you kind of get the message that maybe my story is not important. So that's why I wrote this book for children. So children that were like I was conceived , that they come from this long history of resistance and resilience and that their stories do matter.
S9: So your book , it adds a fictional layer to a very true story of how Chicano Park came to be. Can you tell us more about the history of the.
S8: Park Barrio Logan ? You know , it has a it has a long history of struggle. And I think it basically starts back when they lost access to the beach and bayfront , when the naval station was built , and then after that , the neighborhood was zoned from residential to industrial without knowledge of the residents. Like they had no idea , like why all of a sudden there was junkyards next to schools and houses and why there was heavy industry. So all of it really.
S9: Impacted , like the air quality and. Stuff.
S8: Stuff. Right , exactly. And Barrio Logan , like National City , has one of the poorest air qualities in the region. And not just that , but also there was the expansion of the five freeway , the addition of the Coronado Bridge that basically broke Barrio Logan in half. right ? Because now we have Barrio Logan and we have Logan Heights on the other side of the freeway. So the neighborhood had undergone a lot of , you know , suffering up until that point. And , you know , they just accepted it as progress. Right ? Like , this is the cost. This is just how it is. Right ? But they had been asking for a green space , you know , a park for the kids. So on the morning of April , you know , 1970 , someone from the neighborhood , Mario Solis , he gets up and , you know , he's just going about his day and he sees these bulldozers and other earthmovers underneath the the bridge. And he's like , oh , wow. You know , they're building the park. And so he goes and talks to the guys , but he's like , oh no , we're not building a park. We're going to build a California Highway Patrol substation , a police station. And they were like shocked , you know , because they didn't know that this was going to happen. And so one of the things that they call Mario Solis is they call him the Paul Rivera of Chicano Park , because after he found this out , he started going from house to house , you know , rallying people , telling him to start going down to the construction site. He went to stores , you know , women were doing their daily shopping. They left all their stuff and they went to the construction site , and the whole community just converged on that site , and they put a stop to the work that they were doing.
S9: And another key figure in the story is Laura Rodriguez. What can you tell us about her and her role in this ? You know , in the history of the park.
S8: Laura Rodriguez was the initial inspiration for Barrio Rising. I had seen the tribute mural for Laura Rodriguez on Cesar Chavez Parkway , and when I had seen it , I was like , who is that ? Like , I need to Google more information. And when I had found out about her , you know , about her life , it was so fascinating. She was born to a father who was blind , who sold newspapers. So every day before she went to school , she would walk him to downtown San Diego. He would sell newspapers. And then after school she would , you know , pick him up and they would go home. And he was very ill. And he knew that his end was coming. And he took Laura and her sister to an orphanage in Los Angeles to leave them. And , you know , the orphanage was like , no , you know , we can't do that. So they came back home and they were actually , um , the Marsden family , the sisters that were working in the neighborhood house at that time , like , took an interest in Laura. And when her father passed , they went to go , um , they , like , basically took her in as their own. And so Laura went to go live with the Marstons. And , I mean , could you imagine going from living in Barrio Logan to living with one of the most prominent families of San Diego ? Like the difference , right ? But she goes over there and I guess she still has a patio in her heart , because at 16 , she meets a guy and they go back to the barrio. So , um , you know , she does that and , you know , she just lives her life. You know , she becomes a mother , a grandmother. And so everybody knows who she is in Barrio Logan. But also in that time , you know , Hispanic women , Latino women were kind of , like , expected to have a certain decorum , you know , not to be , you know , ruffling feathers and all that stuff. So the whole community is converging on the construction site. And in that moment , Donna , Laura , Laura Rodriguez , she lays down in front of the earth mover , and it inspires everybody like it's it's like it ignites the whole moment , the movement that's going on under there. And I think it just like resolved everyone like , wow , this Laura is , you know , laying down in front of the earth mover. She's ready to like , you know , give it all for this park for our community. And it was incredible what she did.
S9: Yeah , it's an amazing story. I mean , and another piece of this that I think comes through in the book is also that this effort to bring Chicano Park to life was not , you know , merely the act of 1 or 2 really , you know , courageous people. But just like the power of community , right ? Mhm. Yes.
S8: Yes. Community is at the heart of Barrio Logan. Like that is what the , the story is really about , about how a group of ordinary people can come together to accomplish something amazing. And not only that , they're just ordinary people. They're students , they're grandmothers , they're they're children. They're older people. You know , it's just regular people.
S9: And so the book centers on a little girl named Elena and her dream for a park.
S8: And then you know how she feels when she finds out it's not a park , and how she has to make a decision of how she's going to participate in this takeover. You know , thinking of my own children , I don't know if they would see that and be like , oh , we want to go to a park and , you know , protest. So I think she acts as an avatar for readers to step into this experience that might be different from their own and make that leap of bravery in a way that maybe they can transfer that to a different aspect in their own life.
S9: So I want to turn to you and your connection here. I mean , earlier you mentioned your love of literature came early.
S8: I have always loved books. There's nothing like losing yourself inside a book. Like I can be in my house , a national city. You know , growing up in a low income family , my father was a construction worker. My mother was a housekeeper. You know , we didn't have family vacations. We didn't get to go to any nice place. But I could go into a book and I could travel to a completely different time and place in a book. So I've always loved reading. However , you know , like I mentioned earlier , I never really saw anybody like myself in a bug , and it wasn't until I was in seventh grade and we read the House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros , that I actually read a protagonist with the Chicano , you know , with the Chicano protagonist. And I was like , oh my God. Like , it was such an incredible moment being seen , you know ? And I just remember that feeling. And I was like , man , one day I'm going to make someone feel seen to. Yeah.
S9: Yeah. So how did that transition ? I mean , it's one thing to like , you know , find passion for reading. But when did you decide , you know , I want to tell these stories too.
S8: I'm going to go ahead and write my novel. Right ? And so , you know , I set out to do it. Yes , at ten. And I tried , but of course , I like I mentioned , I come from a family where there was no one that had a creative career , that I could kind of see what that trajectory would look like. So for a long time , it was just a dream that I had in my back pocket. But it wasn't anything that I actually knew. Actionable steps to take. It wasn't until I had my children and I realized , I'm raising these little people and I'm raising them. You know , I'm telling them you have dreams like you're going to find them and you're going to want to accomplish them , but how am I going to encourage them to do something when I myself am not doing it ? So it kind of sharpened my focus. And after my second son was born and he was a year old , I was like , okay , we're going to figure out how how these books come to be. Like , I wrote a manuscript , I joined critique groups , I started going to workshops , you know , and I started sending work out and I started getting rejected. But I kept at it. I mean , that's amazing.
S9: Trying to write it ten like , that's that's just. Yeah , that's incredible. So , you know , earlier you talked about sort of like , you know , the importance of reading the Cisneros book and finding stories of , you know , Chicano stories. Yes. You know , how do you think that landscape has changed since you were a child in terms of , I mean , are you seeing more Chicano representation in literature and culture at large than you did as a child. Definitely.
S8: Definitely. Like I said , I didn't get to see myself in a book until I was in seventh grade , whereas my kids have seen themselves since they were born. You know , when other people like , you know , are pregnant , they start buying baby clothes. I started buying books. I was like , oh my gosh , I want I can't wait to share my love of books with my kids. Like so. There is so much more representation than there was when I was a kid. However , now we're dealing with book bans , right ? Because that's that's something that's kind of affecting the landscape. You know , sometimes people don't want to bring a book into a library because it might be challenged or there might be problems , and it's just easier to avoid the controversy than to go up against it. So it's better now. But there's also new challenges.
S9: And one thing that you've made a priority of , you know , you do these visits , um , these free school visits for title one school specifically.
S8: And like I said , I didn't try to be a writer because I didn't know anyone who was in a creative career. So I firmly believe you can't be what you don't see. So I want to go to these schools and , you know , talk to these children and encourage them to follow their dreams , that every single person has a unique story that only they can tell , but sometimes it just needs a little bit help to get out of there. And I hope I can be that spark to those children in title one schools like I was , to help them tell their own stories.
S9: And writing about the people of Barrio Logan. I think this is on the back cover of your book. You say that the struggle for equity continues. Yes. Can you talk more about where you know , where the barrio is today and some of the challenges that that you see it facing ? Yes.
S8: So Barrio Logan still faces with the issue of air quality. It has one of the worst air qualities in the region , but also they're facing gentrification. The rent is very high. People that were born there are having trouble , you know , staying in the place where they were born. So those are two issues that they're still facing today. And along with access to the beach and bayfront , they don't have , you know , equitable access as other communities do.
S9:
S8: It might not look exactly like what Elena did in the book , but it can be applied to something different. I want them to feel seen and appreciated for who they are , because sometimes when you live in a community like Elena does , like I do sometimes you get the sense that people don't care , that you know you're not seen. And I hope that they feel seen from the book.
S1: That was Maria de Flores Aguilar , speaking with Midday Edition producer Andrew Bracken about her book Barrio Rising. It's the 2024 children's selection for one book , One San Diego. If you want to follow one book One San Diego , check out KPBS. Org. Hey , thanks for tuning in. That's our show for today. If you missed anything , you can download KPBS Midday Edition on all podcast apps. Don't forget to watch KPBS Evening Edition tonight at five for in-depth reporting on San Diego issues. I'm your host , Jade Hyndman. We'll chat again tomorrow. Have a great day on purpose , everyone.
