Books designated to help migrant students
CALEXICO — The Mexican government donated more than 1,000 Spanish books to the consulate here.
The consulate celebrated receiving these books, which are an assortment of textbooks and children’s fiction, on Tuesday with a ceremony outside of its building on Heber Avenue.
The books were donated by the National Commission of Free Textbooks governmental program.
The program seeks to promote Mexican national identity and Spanish usage among students who have left the country.
The program also seeks to contribute to bilingual and migrant education in the United States.
In particular, the textbooks promote the personal and educational development of students, and contain activities that incorporate the previous experience and knowledge of students.
The children’s literature covers a range of interests, including stories, poems and plays. The books also provide an opportunity for students to be introduced to literary works in Spanish.
Mario J. Beltrán Mainero, community affairs liaison for the consulate in Calexico, said the program sends millions of books annually to consulates across the country, including Yuma, Sacramento and San Bernardino.
The Calexico consulate received 30 boxes of books, which will be distributed throughout Imperial Valley to programs that work with migrant students.
Dr. Miguel Meza Estrada, the program’s director, and Consul Tarcisio Navarrete were the two main speakers during Tuesday’s ceremony.
Calexico resident Adrien Lopez, 13, had a gleaming smile while standing on stage during the ceremony, as the Calexico Unified School District student was picked to be among the first to receive some of the donated books. Lopez’s mother is the regional representative for the CUSD migrant program.
The CUSD migrant program and the Camarena Memorial Library will both be receiving some of the donated books.
CUSD public information officer Alejandra Limon said the district’s migrant program, which works with students from 3 to 21, tends to use the books in every grade level.
Some of the books get distributed during the migrant program’s annual Christmas event.
These books are also used by teachers, as they reflect what is being taught in Mexico.
This is especially helpful for teachers, as they can better understand the transition from being a student in Mexico to the United States, Limon said.