Silver People

Silver People

Juvenile historical fiction
Remember learning about the creation of the Panama Canal in
school? Probably you don't have really vivid memories. This would
not be surprising. A typical textbook tends to have very little space
on the topic.
Your typical textbook takes a congratulatory stance on what it
considers a feat of American hard work and ingenuity. Any criticism
alludes to the deaths of American workers from illness and accident.
The Carribean workers who did the vast majority of the dirty work, the
apartheid like system by which they received much worse treatment than
United States citizens and northern Europeans, and the destruction of
native rainforest tend to be omitted. Fortunately, Margarita Engle
grew up with a Cuban mother, cognizant about this injustice. Her
Silver People: Voices from the Panama Canal is her attempt to set the
record straight.
The book title, Silver People, alludes to the system of
injustice built into the construction project. Island people and
darker skinned Europeons were paid in silver rather than gold and
forced to endure much worse living conditions, even when treated for
illness or injury. The story is told in multiple voices through
eloquent free verse. You'll hear from silver people and non human
denizens of the endangered rain forest. Can you imagine having to
live in huge crowded crates like those used to store dynamite, not
being able to sit to eat, doing the most physically challenging and
dangerous work for a pittance while seeing others lead lives or
relative luxury? You will learn what it was like while meeting very
engaging and dynamic characters.
Any students who read Silver People will have something
substantial to add to class discussion when they get to the building
of the Panama in history or social studies...information that may even
be news to a teacher. Wouldn't that be something?
On a personal note, I just got back from voting.
A great big shout out goes out to all those who fulfilled this civic
obligation.
Julia Emily Hathaway


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