Latino history is vital to the American narrative–there’s no America without Latino contributions. Despite this, Latino storytelling and history are increasingly being sidelined in educational institutions. The issue deepens when we look at the emerging trend of book banning.
Book banning is the act of removing books from reading lists, libraries, or bookstores based on content disagreements. Often done under the pretense of safeguarding children, most of these challenges come from parents and library patrons. However, elected officials, school boards, and even librarians can also be champions of imposed ignorance. After all, they know knowledge is power.
In March 2024, the American Library Association (ALA) reported that “the number of titles targeted for censorship at public libraries increased by 92% [in 2023] over the previous year.”
