Puerto Rican Youth Literature Publishing House as Conocimiento Mirrors: Storytelling, Mental Health, and Cultural Identity

• In Event: Puerto Rico, Empire, and Children’s Literature

Abstract

In the wake of Hurricane María's devastation in 2017, Puerto Rico witnessed the emergence of local publishing houses as sites of cultural resistance and renewal. Among them, Editorial Destellos has positioned itself as a beacon of hope, prioritizing the production of high-quality children’s and young adult literature that centers Puerto Rican identity, mental health, and the narratives of collective survival. This presentation examines how Editorial Destellos and its authors use picture books to address the intersection of hurricane narratives, mental health, and Puerto Rican identity, positioning storytelling as a tool of resistance against U.S. empire and colonization. I will use picture books published by Editorial Destellos such as“Prohibido llorar by Gama Valle, Nena y Roberta, ¿dónde está? by Mariela Biskai, “Caballito de palo” by Jose Ernesto Hernández, among others.
Drawing from Marilisa Jiménez García’s metaphor of “side by side,” I analyze how Editorial Destellos’s texts foreground marginalized voices and mirror real experiences of trauma and recovery within Puerto Rican communities. The metaphor highlights the coexistence of collective grief and resilience, fostering a shared space for cultural reflection and healing. Building on Gloria Anzaldúa’s concept of “healing through storytelling,” I argue that these narratives reclaim Puerto Rican identity while empowering children and youth as agents of conocimiento—transformative knowledge rooted in self-discovery, cultural affirmation, and resistance to oppression. Furthermore, this work engages with Jesús Montaño and Regan Postma-Montaño’s framework of “tactics of hope” to explore how Latinx/e children’s literature fosters moments of social and personal transformation. By representing youth as advocates for mental health within their communities, these stories provide readers with “conocimiento mirrors,” where they can process pain and trauma while envisioning a more equitable and empowered future. Editorial Destellos’s works embody these tactics, offering young readers a means to reimagine their world and claim agency within the broader context of Puerto Rico’s colonial history and ongoing struggles for decolonization. This presentation situates Puerto Rican children’s literature not only as a cultural artifact but as an act of resistance and a pathway to healing, inviting critical discussions on how youth narratives from the island challenge colonial frameworks while fostering solidarity, mental health advocacy, and cultural pride in the face of systemic oppression.

Author

• Edcel J. Cintron Gonzalez, Illinois State University