My Name in Brown
“Toni Viva Munoz has written more than a book. She’s created a journey that invites parent and child to come together in an act of remembrance. My Name is Brown is a multidimensional work that skillfully weaves history, family, region, culture, and the indomitable spirit of her people, all held together by the star of the narrative, Doña Cuca, her beloved abuela. New Mexico’s complex and rich history provide the texture in which words and images are embedded in enchanting page after page. This book will capture your child’s imagination, while showing the importance of remembering your past. Moreover, it will inspire parents in its impassioned commitment to creating shared memory. This is a book to be experienced with your child, a rich concoction that creates a hunger for discussions of family history and what we owe to the past, and the loved ones who left a path for us to travel”.
Manuel Luis Martinez
Author, Fortunate Monsters
Manuscript Synopsis
As a ninth-generation Bordercana, Toni and her family are a mestizo-mix of Indigenous and Mexican American heritage. They never left the Border. Growing up, she was never made to think of the Border—this in-between space—as two different spaces. In this multigenerational nonfiction story, Toni retells her abuela’s story of their indigenous past while sharing the history of the area and its people. In La Union, the town where her family lives and where their family has always lived, the adobe dwellings are made from la tierra. The same earth is a womb for fallen ancestors—the Chihene Nde Apaches who once roamed the area, the Spaniards who came before 1821, the Mexicans who came after, and the Mexican Americans who still inhabit the area today. From start to finish, this story is the embodiment of determined population of indigenous peoples in their efforts to reunite their brothers and sisters as they reclaim their indigenous roots. It is among the many stories of people still thriving and not forgotten along the US-Mexico. Border.
Teacher’s Guide
A teacher’s guide for My Name in Brown
Coloring Book
Color the story your way!