Bibliotequitas para Tualatin

(Bibliotequitas for Tualatin)

Abstract

The City of Tualatin is home to around 5,000 individuals who identify as Hispanic or Latino (US Census Bureau, 2020). Uniquely, many of the Spanish speakers who immigrated to Tualatin are from Guerrero. Guerrero is located in the southwest region of the Mexican west coast, sandwiched between the Mexican states of Jalisco and Oaxaca. Although many Mexican immigrants in Tualatin are from this particular region, we have a growing community from all over Central America and South America. This shift in immigration shows us the increasing need to provide relevant Spanish-language programs and materials for our community. Tualatin Public Library decided to address this need by creating Little Free Libraries or "bibliotequitas" for underserved, Spanish-speaking communities in the area.