Emilia's Corte

By Veronica Castillo,Juleesa Espinoza

Through a hand-me-down traditional Mayan skirt, Emilia takes flight and sees her neighborhood in a new way, embracing her Guatemalan culture and letting her personality shine through her shyness.
Emilia would rather play with her kite alone than go to birthday parties, pick up beans for her mom's frijoles dinner, or wear her mom's old corte into town where everyone can see her. With a gust of wind, Emilia's corte takes flight, and she sees what it's like to miss out on celebrating with friends, dancing to the marimba at the park, and being brave enough to ask for her favorite cookie, champurradas. After the heavy frijoles weigh her down and lead her to walk back home, she gets a second chance to participate in neighborhood events.
Mother-daughter duo Veronica Castillo and Juleesa Espinoza penned this Spanglish tale together, with Juleesa also illustrating, to spur conversations about culture within families and inspire children, especially those from immigrant parents, to appreciate their roots.