Toolkit: Raising Latino Children

Resources designed for parents, educators, and other caregivers who play meaningful roles in the lives of young Latino children.

Children in the U.S. grow up with very different experiences depending on their racial and ethnic identities. Those differences show up in a family's immigration story, in family and collective history, in whether kids see themselves reflected in books and media, in the chances they get to celebrate their heritage, and in the discrimination and stereotypes they run into.

Latino/a children, like all children, deserve to feel proud of who they are, the people they love, and the places they come from. At the same time, Latino/a families in the U.S. face real challenges: xenophobia, marginalization, colorism, and more. This toolkit is here to help you meet those challenges and support your child's well-being.

Some of what you'll find is just for you as a caregiver. Some is made to use directly with kids. The resources cover cultural pride, family stories, bilingualism, activism, and caring for ourselves and each other in a harsh moment for immigrant families. Look through and start wherever feels right.

A note on language

Throughout this toolkit, we use Latino/a because it reflects a shared cultural identity for many families with roots in Latin America. We also know that no single term fits everyone. People identify in many ways, including Latino, Latina, Latine, Latinx, Hispanic, Afro-Latino/a/x, Indigenous, by their family's country or ethnicity, or in ways all their own. We honor and respect the words each person and family chooses. Our use of Latino/a here is simply meant to be inclusive, a term wide enough to hold the many identities, cultures, and experiences in our communities.

EmbraceRace is grateful to researchers Alison de Leon Escobar and Viviana Vélez Negrón for their contributions to this toolkit.