Diversity Titles

The celebration of Filipino American History Month (FAHM) in October commemorates the first recorded presence of Filipinos in the continental United States, which occurred on October 18, 1587, when “Luzones Indios” came ashore from the Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de Esperanza and landed at what is now Morro Bay, California. FAHM was first celebrated in 1992, and was made official in 2009.

This list of titles explores the historical relationship between the two countries, the Filipino-American immigrant experience, and the current state of the Philippines.

September is Suicide Prevention Month. This list includes books centered around mental illness, suicide prevention, survival, and loss. For children, we included books about bullying and kindness. We hope these titles will encourage you to reach out to help someone who may be suffering. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or use the chat feature at 988lifeline.org to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The Trevor Project provides counseling for LGBTQIA+ young people; call 1-866-488-7386, text 678-678 or go to https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/ to chat with a crisis counselor.

The goal of this national observance is to help educate parents, guardians, and educators about the critical link between vision and learning. Vision problems are the fourth most prevalent class of disability in the United States and one of the most prevalent conditions in childhood. Roughly 80 percent of what a child learns in school is information that is presented visually. The New Jersey State Library offers the Talking Book & Braille Center, which offers no-cost, home-delivery services on behalf of the National Service for the Blind and Print Disabled to children, teens and adults in New Jersey who have difficulty reading standard print or trouble holding a book.

International Non-Binary People’s Day on July 14th recognizes people whose gender identity falls outside the gender binary, a conceptualization of gender as either male or female. Non-binary is an umbrella term for all those who do not identify exclusively—or at all—as a man or a woman. Some fall in between, others identify as both or even entirely outside of these constraints. While many nonbinary folks also identify as transgender, not all do.

June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. Alzheimer’s affects one’s memory and interferes with daily functioning. More than 55 million people are living with a type of dementia worldwide. Many of their family members serve as their main care givers.

May and June are times when we celebrate parents. Parents are anchors of the family – and in many cases, that goes beyond the birth family or nuclear unit. Families can involve generations, or they can be couples or groups who find connection and support with one another. Beyond Mothers’ Day in May and Fathers Day in June, National Foster Care Day is May 7th this year, and Global Day of Parents is June 1st. There are occasions during other months that honor grandparents, adoptive parents, and military families, but May seems like a good time to remember that family comes in many shapes and sizes. Some bonds are of blood, others of choice, but what matters is that we take a moment to be grateful to those who take care of us – and to hope that future generations will receive the love and care that they deserve.