Why I Love Graphic Novels About Exploring Family Histories

I really enjoy graphic novels that follow young people who don’t yet know much about their heritage, either due to lack of interest, as in Game On, or due to lack of opportunity, as in Two Tribes. There’s something deeply satisfying about seeing their journeys play out. Maybe because it reminds me of my own experiences learning about my culture growing up. I wasn’t into comic books as a kid, so I was taught about my Mexican heritage through other media. I remember being given Spanish dubs of Disney movies and children’s books in both English and Spanish. I also read books like Tomie DePaola’s The Legend of the Poinsettia and Gary Soto and Ed Martinez’s Too Many Tamales. Sadly, the dubs, the bilingual books, and intermittent Spanish lessons were not enough to help me fully absorb the language. Also, I never ate tamales as a kid, and when I did try them as an adult, I didn’t like them much. But the stories? Those I remember. Those have stuck with me, and stories are still a vital part of my life. Today, a big part of how I engage with my Hispanic heritage is by reading graphic novels like ¡Ay, Mija! and Miss Quinces. While the latter stars a Honduran American girl, it’s about a quinc...