Abstract English
In this Bachelor's thesis it is explored how an illustrated children's book can transmit aspects of Venezuelan culture to second generation children of the diaspora. It was researched on topics such as the Venezuelan crisis of forced migration, the concept of cultural memory and the role of children's books in early childhood, I also reviewed similar projects and researched what do Venezuelans abroad miss about Venezuela and living there? Things such as: the landscape, the food, living in a family house, the color of the water at the beach.
With this knowledge I developed the illustrated book: The aunt that lives in the Phone, a book that aims to help Venezuelan parents who are creating new families abroad to transfer their experiences, feelings and memories to their children. The aunt that lives on the phone is a 32-paged children’s book about a girl that lives with her Venezuelan mom abroad, and through her and her aunt, who lives on the phone, she gets to hear some of their memories about their place of origin and gets a better understanding of her moms feelings and experiences.
This project proves that an illustrated book can work as a medium to transfer culture to second generation children, preserve the Venezuelan cultural memory, support Venezuelan migrant families and develop the sense of identity and belonging in second generation children of the Venezuelan diaspora, with an emotional approach using elements of Venezuelan culture in the text and illustrations.
Abstract Deutsch
In dieser Bachelorarbeit wird untersucht, wie ein illustriertes Kinderbuch Aspekte der venezolanischen Kultur an Kinder der zweiten Generation in der Diaspora vermitteln kann. Dafür wurden Themen wie die venezolanische Migrationskrise, das Konzept des kulturellen Gedächtnisses und die Rolle von Kinderbüchern in der frühen Kindheit recherchiert. Außerdem habe ich ähnliche Projekte analysiert und untersucht, was Venezolaner im Ausland an Venezuela und dem Leben dort vermissen, zum Beispiel die Landschaft, das Essen, das Leben im Familienhaus oder die Farbe des Meeres.
Auf Grundlage dieser Erkenntnisse entwickelte ich das illustrierte Buch The Aunt that Lives in the Phone. Es soll venezolanische Eltern, die im Ausland neue Familien gründen, dabei unterstützen, ihre Erfahrungen, Gefühle und Erinnerungen an ihre Kinder weiterzugeben. The Aunt that Lives on the Phone ist ein 32‑seitiges Kinderbuch über ein Mädchen, das mit seiner venezolanischen Mutter im Ausland lebt. Durch sie und ihre Tante, die „im Telefon lebt“, hört das Mädchen Geschichten und Erinnerungen aus ihrem Herkunftsland und versteht die Gefühle und Erfahrungen ihrer Mutter besser.
Dieses Projekt zeigt, dass ein illustriertes Buch ein wirksames Medium sein kann, um Kultur an Kinder der zweiten Generation weiterzugeben, das venezolanische kulturelle Gedächtnis zu bewahren, migrantische Familien zu unterstützen und das Identitäts- und Zugehörigkeitsgefühl von Kindern der venezolanischen Diaspora zu stärken – durch einen emotionalen Ansatz und den Einsatz kultureller Elemente im Text und in den Illustrationen.
Thesis
Practical Part
As a result of this investigation, after having defined the importance of the transmission of memory and culture to second generation children of a diaspora and the highly positive impact this can have in families with migration backgrounds, and after having determined, that an illustrated picture book is the best medium to achieve this, the illustrated picture book for children “The aunt that lives on the phone” was developed.
The aunt that lives on the phone follows everyday aspects of the life of a migrant Venezuelan child and their mom. The book shows different aspects of Venezuelan culture, ranging from food, objects, everyday experiences and feelings living abroad to feelings like nostalgia, sadness, longing for what was left behind.
Since the book is naturally aimed at a Venezuelan audience, the original version will be in Spanish, but an English version will be issued as the Bachelor Thesis.
The story:
The story is told from Manu’s perspective, a toddler who comes from Venezuela but lives abroad with her mom. Manu appears to live quite a normal life for a child, but in her daily life, without realizing, she experiences things that a lot of migrants go through: to always eat food from the homeland, to always videocall with family members and friends who are scattered across many countries and continents, to watch her mom be worried about the situation back in Venezuela and not always fully present, watching her miss and long for how it was and how it could be.
1. One day like any other day, they receive a call from Manu's aunt: Mary. Mary lives in the phone, and sometimes also in picture frames at home, and in the computer. Other family members also live in the phone. Manu knows Mary only through the phone, but Mary is still a big part of her life, they know each other so well, they have spent hundreds of hours talking, telling each other stories, keeping each other company, eating together.
2. Mary calls and Manu reacts positively, she is excited, but this time the mood feels different, her mom distances herself and seems worried, maybe there is some bad news.
3. Manu notices her mom is worried and sad, so she starts asking questions, she wants to understand what is happening and what mom is going through. So mom and Mary start telling Manu about Venezuela, they tell her stories, describe moments, describe feelings and memories. They tell her about food, memories and show objects and pictures.
4. They tell her about things they did there and miss, like going to the close by beaches and dancing tambores, being visited by beautiful birds, their family house and being all together.
5. Then aunt Mary gives a nice surprise: she will visit them in Berlin for Christmas, Manu and Mary will meet in person for the first time!. Manu is very happy and she hopes one day she can go to Venezuela to meet the rest of her family.
In this book Manu, who as a character represents second generation Venezuelan children, connects with the fact that her mom is an immigrant and comes from Venezuela, she understands for the first time the challenges her mom faces as an immigrant and she gets to know Venezuelan culture, though stories about how people behave, how it felt to live there, what her mom experienced, and for the first time she understands why it is important for mom to share her culture with her, in an attempt to keep her own identity, and her interest for supporting her mom and embracing her culture grows, now she's keen to eat arepas every time.
This are some of the illustrations in the illustrated book The Aunt that lives in the Phone.
Werkschau
Selected projects from my Bachelor studies are in my website :)
Thesis PDF
The Aunt that Lives in the Phone PDF
Reflection
This project has been very special, because I can relate to this story in many different perspectives and I would love to continue developing this book and giving a voice and visibility to Venezuelan migrants, by helping them transfer their culture to their new family members, wherever they are.
This book will serve the purpose of giving more visibility to migrant childhoods and to the stories of children of the Venezuelan diaspora, which is very much needed. :)
