Ask Me About: The Committed Generation

More than 3 million Central Americans reside in the United States today, yet the resources in most schools on Latino heritage make the rich history and literature of the region invisible. Therefore, for Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15), Teaching for Change has launched a campaign to support and encourage teaching about Central America. We have collected lessons and readings for free use by classroom teachers.

This is Teaching for Change’s second “Ask Me About” campaign with provocative buttons to encourage interest in the topic and online resources. We begin with the history and literature of the COMMITTED GENERATION, a group of Central American activist writers from the latter half of the 20th century. The focus of our study is the Central American countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. Over time Teaching for Change will expand the resources to include other time periods, themes, and countries of the region.

Convinced that the writer must serve as the fulcrum of change in word and deed, authors of the Committed Generation not only wrote tirelessly about the struggles in Central America but also played an active role in social justice movements themselves. Many were exiled and some died in their efforts. Their writing and activism continue to serve as a vision of hope for people in Central America and all over the world.

Writers of the Committed Generation wrote about important themes in the region’s history:

indigenous rights
women’s rights
labor
land reform
environmental justice
political repression and violence
U.S. intervention

As a generation of primarily young writers concerned about the world around them, we hope that the stories of the Committed Generation serve to interest and inspire students today.

Why Central America?

Teaching for Change was founded in the 1980s as the Network of Educators on Central America to help teachers address the needs of a rapidly growing population of Central American students and increase public awareness about U.S. foreign policy in the region.

With debates about the DREAM Act and immigration policy at the forefront of public consciousness, we want to draw attention once again to a significant Latino population in the United States whose voice is underrepresented in the curriculum: Central Americans. People from Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras moved in large numbers to the United States during the 1960s-1990s, when U.S.-supported military dictatorships waged repressive wars against their populations.

The Committed Generation wrote to bring to light the injustices that prevailed in their countries: the need for land reform, recognition of indigenous and women’s rights, exploitative labor practices, environmental destruction, political repression and violence, and U.S. interference in the region. Too often we think of poetry, novels, and plays as entertainment: romanticized, apolitical, and an escape from the world. These writers believed that their words needed to help their readers delve more deeply into the world, both its deepest injustices and the beauty of their hope.

Get Involved

Help us give teachers and parents the tools to teach Central American history and multicultural education all year long – not just during celebratory months or holidays. For a donation of $10 or more you can receive your very own Ask Me About: The Committed Generation commemorative button. Each button comes with a brief description of the Committed Generation and a poem so you can share Central America’s history and literature with others.

Give today and receive your Ask Me About: The Committed Generation commemorative button. For a gift of $50, Teaching for Change will donate a set of 20 copies of Rediscovering America to a middle or high school teacher.