Washington, DC (April 30, 2008) – Today, Congressman Rubén Hinojosa (D-TX), along with several member of Congress, joined local schoolchildren in the U.S. Capitol to celebrate Día de los Niños/Día de los Libros.  Pat Mora, award winning children’s author and founder of the celebration, joined them for today’s event and to discuss the importance of learning to read. 

Día de los Niños/Día de los Libros, also known as Day of the Child/Day of the Book, is an annual celebration of children, families, culture, and literacy.  It is an enhancement of Children’s Day, which began in 1925.  Children’s Day was designated as a day to bring attention to the importance and well-being of children.  In 1996, children’s book author Pat Mora proposed linking the celebration of childhood and children with literacy. Today’s celebration was one of many taking place across the country to promote literacy, bridge cultures and highlight the vital role our nation’s libraries play in the lives of Americans. 

Hinojosa said:

“On April 30, Hispanic communities across the country come together to host festivals, school activities and other events that celebrate the youth of America. It is a day for parents, families and communities to honor and uplift Latino children and all other children in America. As we celebrate this special day, we should renew our commitment to investing in our next generation of leaders.  The best way we can honor our children is to get serious about improving their educational attainment. 

“Hispanic children are now second to only non-Hispanic whites in our nation’s schools.  Soon, Hispanics will be the largest minority group in our nation’s workforce.  Yet Hispanic children are the least likely to attend preschool, the most likely to dropout of school before earning a high school diploma, and the least likely to earn a college degree.  Imagine what a difference it would make if instead of having half our students dropping out of high school, we have half our students earning college degrees. 

“We can break this cycle of low education and low wages.  The first step is a commitment to strengthening and valuing literacy and instilling a love of reading in our youth that will last a lifetime. El Día de Los Niños sends a powerful message and challenges us to act on it.   It is our hope that the spirit of this celebration will guide our work in Congress.” 

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