Dear School Board members & Superintendent,
We are writing to you to express our distress and disagreement with the recent removal and banning of Julia Alvarez’ book, “How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent.” from Tillamook County schools and curriculum. As full-time residents and taxpayers in Tillamook County we request the removal of this book ban. Though we recently moved to Tillamook County, we have lived in Oregon for close to fifty years. As citizens we are proud to pay taxes to support the education of our children even though we do not have children attending Tillamook County schools.
Banning books is abhorent. We are against the practice of banning books in schools and libraries. Alvarez’s book is a modern classic, a story of coming of age and the immigrant experience. We are against book banning and urge the Board and Superintendent to take action immediately to restore this book to the curriculum and library. It is critical that books are available to our students that tell of experiences for diverse culture, identities and points of view.
Mimi Maduro & Michael Stevens
Tillamook, Oregon