“Más que un barrilete”
Papel picado scattered through walls, discussions of ofrendas permutate classrooms, and the familiar vibrant imagery displayed in Coco often flood lessons around Día de los Muertos during Latinx Heritage Month. The conversations celebrating and honoring Día de los Muertos are critical. However, I pause to think what narratives are being omitted through what seems to be a large umbrella understanding of the tradition.
The unity of such diverse nuanced cultures is essential to the beauty of the Latinx community, yet it often feels that the understanding of Latinx culture can be limited. As a Mexican American woman, I recognize that the few times Latinx culture was spoken about in schools, it reflected my family’s home country. I did not learn about the tierra de volcanes of El Salvador or La Purisima in Nicargua in schools; it seems that as we move towards furthering multiculturalism, there are still blind spots that need to be addressed. I keep that awareness at the forefront and feel responsible to use my privilege as a STEAM Coordinator to amplify narratives that may be overlooked in the classroom. Thus, when it came to celebrating Día de los Muertos during STEAM Recess, I intentionally chose to spotlight the barriletes, or giant kites, of Guatemala. Although I hoped it would spark joy in my students, I was not prepared for the reaction.
“My mom told me about them!”
“We should use these colors! I saw these colors when I went to Guatemala! Can we get this color?”
“I can’t wait to teach the kinder students about my culture.”
Up to this point, I did not have consistent student helpers; thus, I was shocked at the number of students who wanted to help once they learned about this particular STEAM activity. It went from a single person cutting tissue paper for hours to a community of students enthused with the idea; we were constructing the barriletes.
For the next few days, students gave up their recess to cut shapes for the younger students, assemble kite skeletons, and glue outlines. Laughter filled the room with students debating if tamales wrapped in banana leaves or corn husk were the best or how the beaches in El Salvador compared to those in Guatemala. After building, students exclaimed how they shared the experience with their parents and learned even more about the tradition that they wanted to share. Students thanked me on behalf of their parents, saying that they were so moved that their traditions were being acknowledged. The project had transcended beyond a culturally responsive STEAM project – it had become a commemoration of our unique identities.
Barriletes are a labor of love, a powerful symbol of pride Guatemala uses during Día de los Muertos originating from their Mayan ancestry. Our project emulated that feeling of pride, becoming más que un barrilete.
LAEP’s STEAM Teaching & Learning work supports schools and districts in integrating STEAM learning in K-12 settings, including building a school-wide STEAM culture. Cultural relevance and humility are important components of LAEP’s work.