In 2014, when my e-book, Raising Bilingual Children, was published, I had the opportunity to participate in the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books for the first time. I was in a panel with other authors talking about raising bilingual children. Graciela was also on that panel and we have been friends ever since.
Uber-smart, confident, knowledgeable about all kinds of topics, one can speak with Graciela for hours. A veteran, a badge she wears proudly, one who served as an officer and aviator in the Air Force after graduating from U.C. Berkeley (her education funded by the Air Force ROTC scholarship) she wants more Latinx families to explore), Graciela is the mother of three teenagers. On daily basis, her household communicates in English, Spanish, Japanese, and Braille. Thus, the “messiness” she refers to when talking about raising bilingual children.
Graciela and I chatted about her multicultural home. Her husband Genro is Japanese, she’s a Texas-born Latina with Mexican parents, and her kids are biracial Berkeley-born Californians. She shared her perspective about language and culture and how Braille got involved in the mixed with the other languages included in her language family plan.
I invite you to watch our IGTV and share it!
A savvy entrepreneur, Graciela is the founder of Graceful Global Group, an award-winning, independent, multicultural educational publishing and content development firm that publishes bilingual children’s books. Her firm also offers a “Birth Your Book” coaching program, parent empowerment seminars in Spanish hosted by school district clients, and targeted branding via Latino literature for events (live and virtual.) Teachers aspiring to become award-winning authors of bilingual children’s books love her online publishing and marketing course and coaching created for that purpose.
Her groundbreaking bilingual, aviation book series, inspired by her military aviation service, Good Night Captain Mama / Buenas Noches Capitán Mamá … and Captain Mama’s Surprise / La Sorpresa de Capitán Mamá carries a message of inspiration and motivation for all girls and boys that moms fly airplanes too! Graciela’s team is creating the third book in the planned series right now!
3 tips that have helped Graciela’s family’s bilingual journey:
- Follow the child’s lead – every child is so different, even within one family. Adjust to his/her lead, content, and genre interests.
- Relatable books – add books to your home library that your children can identify with, books with which you see them creating a relationship.
- Accept the messiness – it is not peaches and cream. In our house, it’s more like jalapeños and sashimi with a dash of Braille.”
- Remember that it is a journey, lay the foundation for your kids then chill out and enjoy it!
- Find ways to inspire your children into discovering many possibilities to pursue as adults!
For more about Graciela and her work, check out her Instagram @graciela.tiscarenosato and her website.
Thank you, Graciela!
