Aim: This workshop addresses a critical question: What does it mean for a child to grow without seeing themselves reflected in the stories they read? For Children of the Original Peoples (Indigenous communities in the Mexican context), visual absence or stereotyped imagery in literature subtly shapes self-esteem, cultural identity, and belonging.

Theoretical Grounding: Using social semiotics (Kress & van Leeuwen) and Barthes’ orders of signification, participants will deconstruct how visual signs, composition, gaze, and symbolism, communicate value or render identities invisible. Applying Gillian Rose’s (2016) sites of visual interpretation, the session distinguishes between "Othering" tropes and authentic identity affirmation, grounded in ethical and theoretical evidence of narrative belonging.

Workshop Structure:
Framing: Terminology, positionality, and the developmental impact of visual absence.
Semiotic Audit: Guided analysis of curated Mexican historical and contemporary illustrated texts.
Collaborative Evaluation: Group activity using a semiotic rubric to identify patterns of marginalization vs. agency.
Practical Application: Strategies for ethical selection and the prioritization of "Own Voices" narratives.
Ethics & Safety: The session provides protocols for handling harmful imagery and establishing respectful discussion norms to avoid cultural appropriation and pan-Indigenous generalizations.
Outcomes: Participants, educators, librarians, and creators, will gain a Visual Representation Checklist and a rubric for culturally responsible selection. By sharpening "critical visual literacy," attendees will leave equipped to advocate for visibility and foster cultural pride in young readers.

Authors:
Maria Guadalupe Castaneda Tellez, Southern Methodist University, United States

About the Presenter(s)
María Guadalupe Castañeda Téllez holds a Ph.D. in Education Sciences and has over 15 years of experience as a specialist in executive education for adults.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Thursday Schedule

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