Humanizing the Journey Across the Mexico–U.S. Border: Multimodal Analysis of Children’s Picture Books and the Restorying of Latinx (Im)migration

In response to current anti-immigration rhetoric and policy coming from national leadership, the authors engage in multimodal analysis of picture books that humanize individuals who make the journey across the Mexico–U.S. border. Findings suggest that picture book narratives restory anti-immigrant sentiments by (1) placing the child at the center of the story, (2) demonstrating the way in which the (im)migration journey is a shared journey, and (3) featuring expressions of tenderness among the characters. The article emphasizes the importance of elevating young people’s perspectives on Latinx (im)migration through children’s literature.