Windows and Mirrors

For the concept of Windows and Mirrors as a tool for discussing multicultural literature, I'm indebted to Emily Style's seminal article, Curriculum as Window and Mirror.

The tool is simple, but profound. You look at a text and ask yourself: what do I recognize here from my own experience? What is unfamiliar to me? Then you discuss what you see in the mirror (reflections of your own experience) or window (unfamiliar things) with others.

We'll begin by asking these questions of paintings of family and community life by Carmen Lomas Garza.

Carmen Lomas Garza's artwork has been published in numerous picture books marketed to a children's audience, but her artwork is also relevant to adults. Her books include In My Family and A Piece of My Heart/Pedicito di mi Corazon.

The concept of windows and mirrors has developed into a widespread concept for helping people understand each other across cultural barriers. For instance, an international art exhibit entitled Windows and Mirrors opened in Altanta this past summer (August 2011). It featured 40 works portraying the civilian casualties in Afghanistan by artists from around the world, sponsored by American Friends Service Committee.