It’s Not Propaganda, Filth, or Cr*p if es Verdadero y Valioso: Trumping Pancho Rabbit’s Haters

The children’s picture storybook Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote, an innovative fable about immigration, has won high praise, multiple awards, and a remarkable amount of scholarly attention since it was published in 2013. However, it has also infuriated many on the anti-immigrant right who have denounced it as “propaganda,” “filth,” “crap,” and an “attempt to sway young minds to believe that illegal immigration is okay.” This presentation pushes back against these attacks by reviewing its scholarly and instructional value, placing it in the context of other CPSBs regarding immigration, and then connecting Pancho Rabbit with immigrant children’s own true stories about coming north. This presentation will fortify, against Trumpista backlash, the many thoughtful educators who seek to use this book.