Critical Examination of Children's Picturebooks on Latino Fathers and Their Daughters: Through a LatCrit and Intersectionality Perspective

• In Event: A Critical Critique of Cultural Representations in Children’s Picture Books

Abstract

This study explores the depiction of Latino fathers, their daughters, and their relationships in children’s picturebooks through a LatCrit and intersectionality lens. Seven picturebooks were analyzed using critical content analysis. It found Latino fathers portrayed as warm, nurturing, and supportive, often working-class with diverse immigration statuses. Despite financial challenges, they actively engaged in their daughters’ lives, fostering imagination. Daughters were depicted as active, imaginative, and family-oriented, and gender neutral. The father-daughter relationships emphasized familismo, highlighting involvement despite struggles. However, gender stereotypes persisted, with fathers in breadwinning roles and daughters in domestic settings. This study calls for more diverse and complex representations that challenge traditional gender roles, reflecting evolving dynamics within Latinx families.

Authors

• Su-Jeong Wee, California State University - Los Angeles

• Chelsea Camila Leyva, California State University - Los Angeles