Colombian Culture, Colombia Adoption and Raising Colombian Kids

Yesterday, I introduced you to the Nobel Peace Prize nominated Children's Peace Movement. Today, I have another book suggestion on this subject. While Cameron's Out of War is an outstanding book for teenagers interested in learning more about the civil conflict and peace movement in Colombia, there is another book for a younger audience. It is much less comprehensive, but it introduces the concept of the Children's Peace Movement to a younger audience. Michelle Mulder has written a Kids' Power Book entitled "Yeny and the Children for Peace." You can get it here: http://www.amazon.com/Yeny-Children-Peace-Kids-Power/dp/1897187459/ref=sr_1_18?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1292860531&sr=1-18

The Colombian Civil War has lasted for decades. The armed groups -- guerrilla and paramilitary and military -- have been responsible for many abuses that have often violated the human rights of ordinary Colombians. According to the United Nations, around 5,000 people lose their lives every year as a direct result of the armed conflict, and since 1985 over 3 million people have been forced to leave their homes. In 2009, this meant that Colombia had the largest number of internally displaced persons in the world -- an unfortunate and sad statistic. In 1996, the Movimiento de los Niños por la Paz -- Children's Peace Movement -- began. It started in small towns and cities as children met in round tables where they learned about and discussed their rights. This lead to a Nation Wide vote, by Colombian children, which determined the top 12 main rights that children should have. They included the right to life, the right to peace, and the right to a family that loves them. One year ...

Amigo, Compadre , Compañero , Compinche , Colega , and Amigote are just a few words that can be used to say FRIEND in Spanish. However in Colombia, and more specifically in Antioquia and its capital Medellín , the word of choice is PARCE ( PAHR say). A PARCE is a good or close friend and the word is consistently used by most PAISAS (people from Antioquia and the surrounding coffee growing region) when referring to their friends. This is why is should come as no shock that JUANES ( a.k.a. Juan Esteban Aristizabal ), the world famous Colombian rocker and PAISA , might name his latest album P.A.R.C.E. A great stocking stuffer idea and a must for any Colombia lover's collection. http://www.amazon.com/P-R-C-Juanes/dp/B0047H7Q9U The album hit stores last week, and now that I have had a chance to hear it, I'd like to offer my opinion. First, it is a bit of a departure from his more upbeat rockero music of the past, and to me seems a little U2 ish . Though this is no...

Cumbia comes from the Caribbean coast of Colombia (and what is today called Panama). It has been a part of the cultural tradition since the 1800s. It is a mix of African and Indian traditions. Read more about Folkloric Cumbia here: http://raisingcolombiankids.blogspot.com/2009/11/cumbia-folkloric.html However, beginning in the 1950's and 1960's, changes in the Folkloric Cumbia sound began to began. Soon, Cumbia became a popular commercial genre in Colombia. Eventually Colombian artists started touring, taking cumbia to places like Mexico, Argentina, Central America and Perú. In those areas, Cumbia was adapted by local performers and each developed their own style. By the turn of the century, Cumbia was one of the biggest genres in commercial music in Latin America. Many Colombians have long felt that the development of other kinds of Cumbia have degenerated the original sound, and really the sound is not very popular in Colombia today. A few new bands, like Bomba Stereo , are t...

GALGUERIA is a unique Colombian word for JUNK FOOD! It comes from the word GALGO which means 'strong craving or hunger'. Outside of Colombia, few people will know what you are talking about if you use the word, but every Colombian child will immediately know exactly what you are referring to. That said, what holiday season would be complete without a house full of GALGUERIAS . Unfortunately, getting some good galguerias outside of Colombia can be difficult. So, if your local Latino market doesn't have some, you can try La Tienda del Pueblo online store. They have a nice selection of Colombian galguerias that can arrive in time for the holidays. You can use Paypal , so your transaction is secure. If you have adopted older Colombianitos , this might be a really great find for a special holiday surprise treat. Personally, our kiddos will be getting Chocolatinas Jet this year. Shhhhhh ! http://www.latiendadelpueblo.com/cgi/cp-app.cgi?usr=51F1163040& rnd ...

My kids don't just have a grandma and grandpa, they also have an abuelito and abuelita . Neither set of grandparents live nearby, but because it is easier and cheaper to visit the grandparents, we do it more often. They also visit us. Whereas some nincompoop at the US Embassy twice denied abuelitas visa to come and visit us. (Do not get me started on Immigration!!!) She decided not to "waste more money on that" and allowed her passport to expire. The likelihood is that we will never see her here on American soil. Anyway, if you find yourself in a similar situation, you might enjoy reading the following book to your little one. In the book, we discover that Liliana's Grandmothers are very different. One lives in New England, the other lives in a South American country. (Just a reminder here that the author, Leyla Torres, is from Colombia. " Hmmm ... I wonder which country she could be referring to?") Though a trip to either grandparent's house is dif...

I know that I have posted two blogs about these guys -- Choc Quib Town -- in the last two months, but I have now listened to the album and can say I really like it! It is a Latin Hip Hop type album, but with overtones of Currulao and other Colombian music genres that make it uniquely Colombian. It also is replete with references to Colombian political and social issues. Overall, a super addition to a Colombia lover's music collection Listen to samples, buy the CD, or MP3's of the songs here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/B0031Y4A5S/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=5174&s=music

I wanted to call this post the Holiday Gift Guide, but I know that many adoptive families are busily saving money to bring home their child(ren). This may mean that checking your local library might be a valuable replacement. I actually requested that our library buy some of these titles. If you do want a few suggestions for spreading holiday cheer, come back over the next few days to see other titles. The first selection is a collection of Colombian music classics. It is called "Colombia es passion: 100 joyas de nuestra musica por nuestros grandes interpretes" -- translation "Colombia is passion: 100 gems of our music by our best performers." These are classics, not necessarily modern hits. The first song is very famous! It is always on the list of greatest hits ever. On a personal note, when we were first married (16 years ago) my husband put part of the song on our computer -- a Dell Pentium 75 :) -- and every time we would turn it off we would hear, ...

In a Spanish tradition, mothers would give their child's baby teeth to rodents with the belief that by doing so, their children would grow up healthy. It was from this tradition that the Ratón Pérez developed. Ratón means mouse in Spanish. Ratón Pérez is the Spanish equivalent to the Tooth Fairy. He visits little children bringing money or gifts when baby teeth are left under the pillow. The story of Ratón Pérez was changed and popularized by Father Luis Coloma who wrote a story called, of all things, Ratón Pérez. You can read the story, in Spanish, here: http://cvc.cervantes.es/actcult/raton/default.htm In our house, the kids have enjoyed the following book, which helps to integrate both cultures when a tooth is lost. You can pick it up at Amazon for less than $11 US and there is potential free super saving shipping :)

Whenever I come across a Colombia based children's book, I am all over it. They are, after all. pretty rare. I have placed other suggestions on this blog and you can see them all by clicking on the Book Suggestions tab to the right. Today, I am going to highlight a book that is based on a true story that I saw on TV several months ago on CNN (see it here http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cnn.heroes/archive10/luis.soriano.html ). It is the story of Luis Soriano , a teacher who decided to start a travelling library. He carries his books by burro to remote villages and farms in Colombia. Here is a YouTube video of a report similar to the one I saw a while back: Here is the update from the first video: Based on Luis' story, Jeanette Winter has written a children's book that is available for advance purchase from Amazon. The official release date is coming up on June 8, 2010. It looks like it will be a great addition to our growing Colombia related library. Here is a link to Amazon w...

Okay, so this is a little late, but back in November 2009, the Latin Grammys were handed out. Busy with moving and recovering from surgery, I had written about 2 months worth of posts that kind of went up automatically, and I totally overlooked my favorite album of the year. It won in the best Children's CD category. It's title: POMBO MUSICAL Before I talk about the album, here is a refresher on Rafael Pombo - (translated and summarized from the album insert): Rafael Pombo was born in Bogotá, on November 7, 1833. He studied civil engineering and was a math professor. Later, he enlisted in Colombia's diplomatic corps and eventually became a member of parliament. He is also considered one of Latin America's main poets during the "Romanticismo" period. His poems teach virtues and values that are universal and true in all ages, and every Colombian knows them. On August 20, 1905, in a solemn ceremony, he was crowned as Colombia's Poet Laureate. He died on May 5...

Author Stephanie Sepehri has brought the Chibcha legend of Chibchacún to life for young readers. This is a must have for your growing collection of literature for your Colombian child. The book is entitled: WHY CHIBCHACUM CARRIES THE WORLD: BASED ON A CHIBCHA MYTH Purchase the book, new or used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1600442153/sr=1-1/qid=1244383152/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&qid=1244383152&sr=1-1&seller =

Julia Durango, author of The Walls of Cartagena , also wrote a wonderful description of the life of Saint Peter Claver. If you recall my May 21, 2009, post, you will remember that Peter Claver called himself a "slave of the black slaves". He loved and served the newly arrived slaves in Cartagena in the 1600's. You and your child can learn more as you enjoy this wonderful bilingual (SPANISH/ENGLISH) book. It is called: Peter Claver, Patron Saint of Slaves/Pedro Claver, Santo Patrono de los Esclavos This book would be a great addition to your home library. It is especially great for kids 4-8 years of age. http://www.amazon.com/Claver-Patron-Slaves-Patrono-Esclavos/dp/0809166976/ref=sr_1_35?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242999044&sr=1-35

In this book, author Leyla Torres (Colombian), tells the story of a Colombian family's impromptu trip. After randomly deciding on the destination, the multi-generational family piles into the car and heads off to the town of San Vicente. When they arrive, they find that there is a Kite Festival (like the one mentioned in yesterday's post) in progess. The family has come ill-prepared for the festival and so they use their creative skills to fashion a kite. In the end, they are awarded a prize for the most creative kite. The illustrations are so wonderful. She perfectly captures Colombia and the Festival de Cometa tradition. The book is available in English and Spanish. It is probably best for Kindergarten - 3rd grade aged children. Here is a teaching guide and activities for before and after the read: http://www.leylatorres.com/pages/teaching_guides/english/ACTV_KiteFestENG.pdf You can possibly find it at your local library, request it inter-library loan, or purchase it here: I...

Yesterday, we read about San Pedro Claver. In the brief summary, mention was made of his trips to the slave ships, where he was accompied by interpreters. The Negro interpreters were criticaly important to his work among the suffering slaves. One of them, named Calepino, spoke 12 languages. The others were: Andres Sacabunche and Ignacio Aluanil from Angola, Solfo and Yolofo from Guinea; Biafara, Manual, Juan Manolio, and finally Nicols Gonzlex. Using the story of San Pedro Claver and his interpreters, Julia Durango has created a wonderful book for middle aged readers (ages 8-12). It is entitled " The Walls of Cartagena, " it was published by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing in July of last year. Having read the book, I believe that it would help teach your child/ren about this amazing man and the work that he performed in Cartagena. Here is a website with pre-reading and discussion questions, as well as writing topics, so you can help your child get the most ou...

If you are looking for a great present for your Colombian child, might I suggest one of the following picture books. My Name Is Gabito/Me Llamo Gabito: The Life of Gabriel Garcia Marquez/La Vida De Gabriel Garcia Marquez by Monica Brown with illustrations by Raúl Colón. To say that Colombians are proud of their noble prize winning author -- Gabriel García Márquez -- is an understatement. He is a national hero. This bilingual book introduces young readers to the life and magical realism of García Márquez. While your kids may not be ready for One-Hundred Years of Solitude or Love in the Time of Cholera, yet. This is a great way to introduce them to this GIANT of Colombian literature. Saturday Sancocho by Leyla Torres Ms. Torres is a native of Colombia and this book is set in Colombia. The girl spends Saturday making Sancocho with her grandparents. The pictures are so great. I feel I am walking to the mercado with my suegra (mother-in-law). This book is also available in SPANISH under t...