HNU Education Professor Zaida McCall-Perez Honored with 2018 International Latino Book Award
OAKLAND, CA (Sept. 14, 2018)–Dr. Zaida McCall-Perez, professor in the School of Education at Holy Names University, has just been honored with an International Latino Book Award for her work in “No Estás Solo,” a winner in the Best Parenting/Family Book category.
“No Estás Solo” essays were written primarily by parents for parents, and by a few Bay Area bilingual educators. The book was originally written in Spanish by contributing authors, and later translated into English as “You Are Not Alone” to expand its reach. Co-editors, Dr. Lettie Ramirez and Dr. Olivia Gallardo ushered the book to fruition.
The collection of essays covers a variety of topics including early childhood, nutrition, teaching math and science at home, and budgeting. It was designed to connect readers to their peers with easy-to-follow advice. “We tried to focus on what the community needed to know,” Ramirez said. “It’s a great example of how authentic voices and collaborative experience can create knowledge,” said McCall-Perez.
McCall-Perez, who has led graduate student research projects at both Holy Names and St. Mary’s College of California for over 17 years, is an advocate for qualitative research by Latinos about Latinos. In 2014, she spearheaded the creation of an annual Master’s student research session at the California Association of Bilingual Education (CABE) conference. “Profe Zaida” is also the past chair of the California Association of Bilingual Teacher Educators (CABTE).
The International Latino Book Awards celebrates two decades of recognizing greatness in books by and for Latinos. The Awards are by far the largest Latino cultural awards in the U.S., with 232 finalists in 93 categories this year. The size of the Awards is proof that books by and about Latinos are in high demand. In 2018 Latinos will purchase over $725 million in books in English and Spanish. The Awards are produced by Latino Literacy Now, a nonprofit organization co-founded in 1997 by Edward James Olmos and Kirk Whisler to promote literacy in the community in all forms: reading, educational, financial, health, and community awareness.
Holy Names is celebrating its 150th anniversary this school year. The Sisters of the Holy Names, an order committed to educating the poor, founded what would become Holy Names University in 1868 to train future teachers in Oakland. Since that historic beginning, HNU has not only graduated thousands of teachers, but also nurses, scientists, counseling and forensic psychology practitioners, business leaders, and many others who are working hard to improve their communities.